{"id":216460,"date":"2026-06-11T13:55:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/216460\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T13:55:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:55:10","slug":"pennsylvania-gop-senator-blames-governor-for-defeat-of-his-marijuana-and-hemp-regulatory-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/216460\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania GOP Senator Blames Governor For Defeat Of His Marijuana And Hemp Regulatory Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Pennsylvania Republican senator is blaming the state\u2019s Democratic governor for the defeat of his bill to create a new Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to oversee the state\u2019s medical marijuana program and intoxicating hemp products<\/a> and that could also one day oversee recreational cannabis if it is legalized.<\/p>\n

Most GOP senators in the Republican-controlled chamber voted for the legislation from Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), and all but two Democrats opposed it\u2014with even some lawmakers who signed onto the measure as cosponsors ultimately voting against it.<\/p>\n

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) \u201cobviously weighed in on the Democratic side of the aisle and asked for a \u2018no\u2019 vote over there, successfully,\u201d Laughlin said after the vote on Wednesday. \u201cI knew it was a risk putting it up for a vote, because there were some discussions going back and forth\u2026 I had a little bit of a heads-up, but we chose to roll forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor\u2019s office confirmed in a statement that he opposes the bill as drafted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Shapiro Administration remains supportive of comprehensive cannabis regulation, which would enable a competitive, revenue-generating adult-use market, protect patient access to the current Medical Marijuana Program and rein in hemp-based intoxicant products that are currently unregulated,\u201d Rosie Lapowsky, a spokesperson for the governor, said. \u201cSenate Bill 49 does not substantively advance those goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

The now-defeated measure would transfer regulatory authority for the state\u2019s existing medical cannabis program from the Department of Health to a new seven-member CCB.<\/p>\n

The governor would appoint three members\u2014one with law enforcement experience, another with expertise in dealing with addiction and a third with experience in \u201ccannabis matters.\u201d The Senate president pro tempore, Senate minority leader, House speaker and House minority leader would also each get to make one appointment.<\/p>\n

The body would oversee cannabis permits, enforcement, seed-to-sale tracking, advertising, labeling, testing and other aspects of the legal industry.<\/p>\n

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D) said<\/a> in written remarks that \u201cit seems to me that we are changing the oversight agency to take power away from the governor\u201d without any certainty that the new board would do a better job of regulating cannabis.<\/p>\n

Under a legalization plan supported by Shapiro, legal cannabis would be regulated by the Department of Agriculture rather than an independent board he would have less control over.<\/p>\n

Senate Democrats who voted against the bill also said they wanted to see additional provisions added to clear prior marijuana convictions or even enact recreational legalization, according to a Spotlight PA reporter.<\/p>\n

Talking to Senate Democrats, included those who co-sponsored the bill, they acknowledged Shapiro\u2019s opposition. But they said they voted no because they wanted other items addressed like clean slate for marijuana convictions if not a simple legalization bill.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Stephen Caruso (@StephenJ_Caruso) June 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Moments after the bill\u2019s defeat on the Senate floor, the chamber adopted a motion to reconsider\u2014but it\u2019s not yet clear when or if the legislation will get another vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to take another pass at this,\u201d Laughlin said. \u201cI\u2019m not sure exactly when, but hopefully before the end of June, and hopefully some negotiations will go on between myself and governor\u2019s office to try to get this bill to his desk to protect children in the commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for now, the GOP senator said<\/a>, \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty clear that politics means more than children\u2019s safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said in a social media post that the view that the governor \u201cisn\u2019t serious about legalization\u201d is \u201ccorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughlin\u2019s legislation would also significantly restrict most hemp THC products<\/a>, aligning the state with a new federal policy that is set to take effect later this year recriminalizing preparations with total THC content of more than 0.3 percent on a dry-weight basis or more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container.<\/p>\n

The bill would also create new types of medical cannabis permits for warehousing\/distribution and third-party transporters, and would require regulars to issue an additional permit to an independent grower\/processor.<\/p>\n

It would additionally add a new requirement for dispensaries to have a physician, pharmacist, physician assistant or certified nurse practitioner available at all times during hours of operation.<\/p>\n

A new Cannabis Regulation Fund would be established, supported by fees from the program. Forty percent of revenue would fund CCB\u2019s operations, 15 percent would help patients pay for medical marijuana, 10 percent would support drug misuse prevention and treatment, 10 percent would go to local police departments and the remainder would go into the state\u2019s general fund.<\/p>\n

Monica McCafferty, a spokesperson for the cannabis reform group ResponsiblePA, said after Wednesday\u2019s vote that \u201cthe people of Pennsylvania were let down once again by political theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 70 percent of Pennsylvanians support a safe, regulated cannabis market and Pennsylvania\u2019s neighbors\u2014New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, and Delaware\u2014have already built regulated markets, addressed intoxicating hemp, and are collecting tax revenue,\u201d she said. \u201cPA leaders are delaying the creation of thousands of jobs that should be coming to Pennsylvania. It\u2019s time to get on with it\u2013Pennsylvanians are demanding that the legislature put politics aside and pass commonsense adult-use legalization without delay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughlin, who is also sponsoring bipartisan legislation to legalize adult-use marijuana<\/a> previewed the regulatory measure last year, writing that Pennsylvania should take initial steps to make sure the state is \u201cready to act when legalization becomes law\u201d<\/a> by establishing a CCB now.<\/p>\n

In a cosponsorship memo, Laughlin said his bill would \u201ctransfer regulatory control of the Medical Marijuana Program to the CCB, ensuring continuity, efficiency, and improved oversight of medical cannabis businesses and patient access.\u201d It would further \u201cestablish uniform safety standards to protect consumers from untested and potentially harmful products.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bill text itself would not enact recreational marijuana legalization on its own. But the description indicates that the sponsor feels the current regulatory regime under the Pennsylvania Department of Health should be replaced with a more targeted agency that would ostensibly be suited to oversee an adult-use market if lawmakers move to end prohibition.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy consolidating oversight under a single regulatory board, we can eliminate inconsistencies, enhance transparency, and provide the structure needed to responsibly manage this industry,\u201d the memo says.<\/p>\n

The action on the cannabis regulatory bill, SB 49<\/a>, comes shortly after the House of Representatives passed a bill to\u00a0allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals<\/a>\u00a0and other healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n

\u2014
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.
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Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\u2014<\/p>\n

It also comes as lawmakers in Pennsylvania continue to consider broader recreational marijuana legalization<\/a>\u2014a reform that a state senator recently said will be easier to achieve now that the Trump administration has rescheduled cannabis at the federal level.<\/p>\n

Shapiro has repeatedly called on lawmakers to send him a marijuana legalization bill and for the last several years has included the reform in his budget requests to the legislature.<\/p>\n

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill last year to end prohibition, but the Republican-controlled Senate has not followed suit.<\/p>\n

Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity, who is running against Shapiro, recently\u00a0pledged to veto a marijuana legalization bill<\/a>\u00a0if lawmakers ever sent one to her desk\u2014though she added that she doesn\u2019t think the reform stands a chance of making it that far in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t support legalizing recreational marijuana,\u201d she said. \u201cRecreational marijuana will not end up in the budget. They\u2019re never going to pass it\u2026not as long as Senate Republicans are in control of the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her running mate for lieutenant governor, Jason Richey, claimed that\u00a0legalizing marijuana would be \u201ccatastrophic\u201d for the state<\/a>, arguing it would increase the size of the illegal market, undermine job creation and harm public health.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson in the governor\u2019s office said the Trump administration\u2019s federal marijuana rescheduling move is an\u00a0\u201cimportant step\u201d that \u201cadds support\u201d to his push to legalize cannabis in the state<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0governor also used this year\u2019s unofficial cannabis holiday 4\/20<\/a>\u00a0as an opportunity to press lawmakers once again to send him a bill to legalize marijuana.<\/p>\n

\u201cPennsylvanians who want to buy recreational marijuana are already driving across the border to one of our neighboring states who\u2019ve legalized it,\u201d Shapiro said in a social media post that day. \u201cThat\u2019s hundreds of millions in revenue going out of state instead of being spent here in Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n

In April, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed budget legislation proposed by Shapiro that\u00a0relies on revenue that would be generated from recreational marijuana sales<\/a>, which has yet to be legalized in the state.<\/p>\n

The governor earlier this year, as he has in past years,\u00a0included cannabis legalization and the resulting expected revenue in his budget request<\/a>. The $53.2 billion budget legislation, which doesn\u2019t itself include provisions to actually legalize marijuana even as it contemplates allocating money that would result from it, now heads to the Senate for consideration.<\/p>\n

The House of Representatives last year passed a\u00a0bill to legalize marijuana and put sales in state-owned dispensaries<\/a>, but the Republican Senate majority has criticized that plan while also\u00a0not advancing a cannabis legalization model of its own<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Separately this session, lawmakers have advanced a bill to\u00a0allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals<\/a>\u00a0and other healthcare facilities<\/p>\n

The legislative developments come as a recent\u00a0poll shows that seven out of ten Pennsylvania likely voters support legalizing adult-use marijuana<\/a>\u2014including majority backing for the reform across party lines.<\/p>\n

When asked whether they \u201csupport or oppose the regulation and taxation of legal cannabis for use by adults 21 and older in Pennsylvania,\u201d 69 percent of respondents said yes. Support was strongest from Democrats, at 72 percent, but also includes 67 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of independents.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile,\u00a0Shapiro is continuing to pressure on lawmakers to send him a bill to legalize marijuana<\/a>\u00a0in the state, saying that doing so would generate new revenue that could be invested in key programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile some in Harrisburg claim we can\u2019t afford to make bigger investments in our kids, public safety, and our economy, know this: If we legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis, we\u2019d bring in $1.3 BILLION in revenue for our Commonwealth over the first five years,\u201d the governor said in another recent social media post.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are dollars that can be invested back into our people and our communities,\u201d he said. \u201cStop with the excuses. Let\u2019s get this done.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported in February that\u00a0legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania would generate nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue<\/a>\u00a0by 2028, an estimate that is a significantly larger cash windfall compared to projections from Shapiro\u2019s own office.<\/p>\n

With a proposed 20 percent wholesale cannabis excise tax, 6 percent state sales tax for retail and licensing fees, IFO said the governor\u2019s legalization plan would generate $140 million in tax revenue in the first year of implementation from 2027-2028 and increase to $432 million by 2030-2031.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a much higher revenue estimate than\u00a0what the governor\u2019s office put forward in the latest executive budget. According to his office\u2019s analysis, legalization would generate about $36.9 million in tax dollars in its first year from a 20 percent wholesale tax on marijuana\u2014rising gradually to $223.8 million by 2030-2031.<\/p>\n

In February, a coalition of drug policy and civil liberties organizations urged Shapiro to play a leadership role in\u00a0convening legislative leaders to get the job done on cannabis legalization this session<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.<\/p>\n

\"Become<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Pennsylvania Republican senator is blaming the state\u2019s Democratic governor for the defeat of his bill to create…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":175927,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[564,28,30,29],"class_list":["post-216460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-featured","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}