Senate Bill 350, alias SB 350, has been unveiled by Pennsylvania senators Daylin Leach and Senator Sharif, which, if passed, will legalize the recreational use of cannabis in the state for people 21 and over. The bill would also allow individuals to grow 6 plants per household.
The dispensaries which are already providing medical cannabis would automatically be issued adult-use licenses.
Cultivation licenses though have been divided into two categories, namely macro growers and micro growers. As the names indicate, macro licenses will be issued to traditional cultivation farms, which operate at a large scale; while cultivators with the micro ones could only sell their products to dispensaries and processors.
A new tax has also been proposed for the same, though the rate hasn’t been decided yet. The majority of revenue generated from the sale of recreational marijuana would go to Pennsylvania public schools. However, it isn’t necessary for districts to utilize those funds for schools; they can instead use it to, say, lower local property taxes.
Once, and if, the bill is passed, all criminal convictions – possessing less than an ounce of marijuana – will be expunged. Furthermore, any eligible pending cannabis charges will be dismissed. Those who are currently serving their respective sentences for possession (or intent to deliver) less than an ounce of cannabis will be commutated, and eligible terms of parole or probation related to marijuana offenses will be terminated.
Unlike the ‘recreational laws’ in other states, SB 350 would do away with the concept of “seed-to-sale tracking,” which other states often use to keep track of cannabis items. In addition, Pennsylvania has planned a few more policies for the sellers. For instance, every dispensary offering vape pens must have a recycling program, social lounges, and an efficient home-delivery service.
Another striking feature of this bill is that it talks about setting up a state-wide cannabis institute, which would provide free education to the public on how to grow and process cannabis without violating the state laws or start a small-scale cannabis business.
