HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) \u2014 A bill to create a cannabis control board in Pennsylvania seemed all but certain to pass, until it didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Sen. Dan Laughlin\u2019s (R-Erie) Senate Bill 49 was not a legalization measure<\/a>, but it would have transferred oversight of the state\u2019s medical marijuana program from the Department of Health to the newly created board.<\/p>\n Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n It had nine Democratic co-sponsors and support from GOP leadership, yet it failed Wednesday in a 27-23 vote. Seven of the nine Democrats who initially supported it did an about-face and voted against it.<\/p>\n \u201cI think to say I\u2019m a little disappointed today in the vote taking place in the Senate on Senate Bill 49 would be an understatement,\u201d Laughlin said.<\/p>\n The senator blamed the bill\u2019s failure on Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who he said asked Democrats to vote against the bill. \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty clear that politics means more than children\u2019s safety,\u201d Laughlin said.<\/p>\n Shapiro\u2019s spokeswoman denied he urged no votes but said the governor wants comprehensive adult-use regulations<\/a> and this bill did not advance those goals.<\/p>\n One Democrat who pulled his support, Sen. James Malone (D-Lancaster), said he wants to support local hemp growers through a more comprehensive approach with the governor and the House.<\/p>\n Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) was one of the rare Democrats who initially backed the bill to still support it.<\/p>\n \u201cA wise man said we should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good,\u201d Street said. \u201cMy colleague has outlined many really good things that are addressed in this bill.\u201d<\/p>\n The state\u2019s hemp industry feels otherwise. Tucked in the 60-page bill is language that would ban intoxicating hemp products in an attempt to shut down bad actors.<\/p>\n Jake Sitler, co-owner\u00a0of Endo Cafe and president of the Pennsylvania Hemp and Cannabis Guild, said the bill would\u2019ve closed businesses like his<\/a> that make hemp-infused drinks and other products.<\/p>\n \u201cDo there need to be guardrails? One hundred percent. Do we need to put regulations on these products? One hundred percent. But you weren\u2019t even giving us a framework to operate. You were eradicating all of us. You were eradicating the small businessmen, the hemp farmer, everybody,\u201d Sitler said.<\/p>\n With the failure of his bill, Laughlin said intoxicating hemp products will continue to be available to young children across the state.<\/p>\n