A Pennsylvania Senate committee has rejected legislation passed by the House that would legalize marijuana sales through a state-run retail system.
The Senate Law and Justice Committee voted 7 to 3 today to reject House Bill 1200, with one Democrat joining Republicans in opposition. State Senator Dan Laughlin (R), who chairs the committee, said the state store model proposed in the bill would sideline small businesses and raise logistical and legal concerns.
“I made it pretty crystal clear that I do not believe that the state store model,” Laughlin said during Tuesday’s hearing.
HB 1200, which was approved by the House last month, would allow adults 21 and older to purchase marijuana products from Pennsylvania Cannabis Stores operated by the Liquor Control Board. The measure would also allow home cultivation of up to two mature and two immature plants with a permit.
The bill sets daily purchase limits at 42.524 grams of dried flower, five grams of concentrate, and up to 500 milligrams of THC in other products. It also includes a 12% excise tax on marijuana and a 6% tax on accessories, with revenue earmarked for regulation, community reinvestment, and treatment programs.
Supporters say the system would help prevent corporate dominance and protect public health. Critics argue the state’s medical marijuana industry already offers a functioning framework that could be expanded, and warn that a state-run system could put Pennsylvania at legal risk given marijuana’s federal status.
Senator Laughlin and Senator Sharif Street (D) previously introduced a bipartisan bill to legalize marijuana through private businesses overseen by a regulatory board. Some Democrats on the committee expressed interest in that approach and asked if Laughlin would offer it as an amendment, but he said the measure is not yet ready to be reintroduced.
