Robert Celt
New Member
Public opinion is behind it.
Gov. Tom Wolf is behind it.
The Republican-led state Senate is behind it.
And as soon as Tuesday, the Republican-led state House could send a bill legalizing medical marijuana to Wolf's desk, a move that could begin ease the suffering for thousands of Pennsylvania children and their families.
That's "Could."
The 203-member chamber has always been the sticking point in the drive toward legalization.
That's due, in no small part, to a sharp division in opinion among the chamber's most senior leaders.
House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, is a legalization supporter. Rep. Matt Baker, R-Tioga, the chair of the House Health Committee is a skeptic.
More importantly, so is House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, who famously offered an impassioned (and reportedly teary) argument against it in a closed-door caucus.
As of Friday, more than 200 amendments had been filed against the bill, which means it's entirely likely that it could change form, requiring what's known as a "concurrence" vote by the Senate to get a final bill onto Wolf's desk for his signature.
As our colleague Melissa Daniels of The Tribune-Review reports this morning, one likely change that could come to the floor during the debate slated to start Monday is a "proposal to limit the amount of THC, the psychoactive element of marijuana, to 10 percent, a move that activists oppose."
As Daniels notes, around 20 states have a medical marijuana law on the books. Four more have legalized recreational marijuana for adult use.
And a Quinnipiac poll last October found that nine in 10 state residents support medical marijuana legalization, she reported.
Keep an eye on the House - it should be quite a day.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Will The State House Pass A Medical Marijuana Bill This Week?
Author: John L. Micek
Contact: PennLive
Photo Credit: Eric Risberg
Website: PennLive
Gov. Tom Wolf is behind it.
The Republican-led state Senate is behind it.
And as soon as Tuesday, the Republican-led state House could send a bill legalizing medical marijuana to Wolf's desk, a move that could begin ease the suffering for thousands of Pennsylvania children and their families.
That's "Could."
The 203-member chamber has always been the sticking point in the drive toward legalization.
That's due, in no small part, to a sharp division in opinion among the chamber's most senior leaders.
House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, is a legalization supporter. Rep. Matt Baker, R-Tioga, the chair of the House Health Committee is a skeptic.
More importantly, so is House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, who famously offered an impassioned (and reportedly teary) argument against it in a closed-door caucus.
As of Friday, more than 200 amendments had been filed against the bill, which means it's entirely likely that it could change form, requiring what's known as a "concurrence" vote by the Senate to get a final bill onto Wolf's desk for his signature.
As our colleague Melissa Daniels of The Tribune-Review reports this morning, one likely change that could come to the floor during the debate slated to start Monday is a "proposal to limit the amount of THC, the psychoactive element of marijuana, to 10 percent, a move that activists oppose."
As Daniels notes, around 20 states have a medical marijuana law on the books. Four more have legalized recreational marijuana for adult use.
And a Quinnipiac poll last October found that nine in 10 state residents support medical marijuana legalization, she reported.
Keep an eye on the House - it should be quite a day.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Will The State House Pass A Medical Marijuana Bill This Week?
Author: John L. Micek
Contact: PennLive
Photo Credit: Eric Risberg
Website: PennLive
