Pennsylvania Senate Committee Gives Approval to Bill to Create Cannabis Control Board 

The Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee on Monday voted in favor of a bill that would create a Cannabis Control Board, The Center Square reports. If approved, the board would regulate the existing medical cannabis program and an adult-use program should the reforms occur in the future. 

State Sen. Dan Laughlin (R) said the Cannabis Control Board would allow an adult-use cannabis program to be carried out “in a professional manner” if it were ultimately legalized in the state, the report says. He added that adult-use legalization is “probably on the horizon” for Pennsylvania.  

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has repeatedly called for adult-use legalization in his executive budgets. This year, Shapiro’s budget estimated that an adult-use program would bring $729.4 million to state coffers in the first year of implementation. 

Last year, the House passed a bill to legalize cannabis for adult use with sales at state-run liquor stores; however, the Senate Law & Justice Committee – the same committee that approved the Cannabis Control Board bill – killed the proposal.  

The bill to create the board will next be considered by the full Senate. A staffer for Senate Democrats told The Center Square that they continue to consider adult-use legalization a priority.