A bill that would legalize recreational marijuana advanced out of the Pennsylvania House Health Committee on Monday. 

The bill, named the Cannabis Health & Safety Act (HB1200), was approved with a 14-12 party-line vote. It will now move to the full Pennsylvania House of Representatives for consideration. 

“The time is now for Pennsylvania,” Rep. Rick Krajewski, who represents the 188th District in Philadelphia, said in a release. “We have listened carefully to public health experts, criminal justice reformers, small business advocates and community leaders. Our bill reflects what we’ve learned — that we can and must legalize cannabis in a way that is safe, equitable and beneficial to all Pennsylvanians.”

What’s in the Cannabis Health & Safety Act? 

According to a news release, here are the key priorities of the Cannabis Health & Safety Act:

• The bill would clear criminal records and advance “restorative justice for those impacted by cannabis-related offenses.”
• It would reinvest tax revenue into communities hurt by the War on Drugs. 
• The bill would implement “critical public health protections, including THC limits, marketing restrictions and child safety measures.”
• It would create pathways for “diverse and local entrepreneurs” to be involved in the local cannabis market. 
• The bill would also maximize “state revenue and accountability with publicly owned and accountable retail stores.”

Where is recreational marijuana legal in the United States? 

In the United States, 24 states, including Pennsylvania’s neighbors New Jersey and Delaware, have legalized recreational marijuana.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2016, but it’s still not legal recreationally like most of the U.S.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal included some new revenue that would come from legalized marijuana sales.

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