State Sen. Dan Laughlin of Erie County will become the first Republican in the Pennsylvania legislature to sponsor a bill that would legalize marijuana use and possession for adults 21 years and older.
- Bill would allow residents 21 years and older to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis flower
- Bill would also allow licensed medical marijuana patients to grow up to five plants in their home
- Anyone convicted of a non-violent marijuana offense would have their criminal records expunged
- To date, 14 states and Washington D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana
Laughlin, of Millcreek, R-49th Dist., plans to roll out the Adult Use Cannabis and Economic Recovery bill on Wednesday with state Sen. Sharif Street, of Philadelphia, D-3rd Dist.
"I view this as the most responsible approach," he said. "We've already legalized medical marijuana and regulating adult use takes a huge bite out of the black market. It also allows people that already use this product to do it in a more responsible manner and buy it from a safe source with accurate labeling."
Laughlin's support of legalizing marijuana for non-medical use marks a potential shift within the state GOP on an issue that it has largely avoided.
The Bucks County Association of Township Officials (BCATO) recently voted on two legalization of marijuana resolutions: