Could marijuana be coming to a liquor store near you?

In what would be a nationwide first, Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled legislation to legalize marijuana for sale through the state liquor store system, an effort that supporters say will pad the state’s General Fund with an influx of new revenue.

Last week, Republican leaders in the General Assembly were clear about their stance on legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania: it’s not happening anytime soon.

 

And while Democrats will likely continue to levy pressure on their GOP colleagues, one state board plans to act on its own to provide relief to those with weighed down by consequences from past marijuana convictions.

Gov. Tom Wolf called on the General Assembly Wednesday to hold a “serious debate” on the legalization of recreational marijuana in the commonwealth, citing the results of Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman’s statewide listening tour as evidence that the state was ready for the switch.

Fetterman’s report, which was formally delivered to the governor Wednesday, said 65 to 70 percent of those who participated in the tour in-person and online supported legalization. Only a handful of counties had attendees who opposed legalization and virtually all in attendance believed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis was a good idea, Fetterman said.

Pennsylvania Democrats have proposed myriad ways to legalize marijuana in the Keystone State. The most common avenue suggested is a market-based approach that empowers growers and dispensaries; others have advocated for its sale through the state-store system alongside liquor.

 

Regardless of how to best administer it, the criminal justice side of the marijuana discussion has not been lost as lawmakers grapple with what to do with criminal records plagued by past marijuana convictions.

Right now, Pennsylvanians must choose between participating in the state’s medical marijuana program and gun ownership, due to marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. 

One leading marijuana legalization advocate is looking to use the clout of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office to give medical cannabis users a bit of protection from the federal restriction.