A lawmaker from Pennsylvania introduced a bill on Wednesday, Oct 2, that would legalize the sale of recreational marijuana and allow cannabis to be sold in over 600 state-owned liquor stores.

David Delloso, a Democratic state representative, introduced House Bill 1899, which allows individuals aged 21 and above to legally possess and consume marijuana. Under the bill, sales of cannabis will be limited to businesses licensed by the state. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) would be responsible for administrating the production and sale of marijuana at the state-controlled stores.

“What I’m afraid of is, without this bill, if we don’t sell cannabis in the state stores, big corporate interests throughout the United States are going to come to Pennsylvania and they’re going to put corner stores up,” Delloso said. “They aren’t going to provide family-sustaining jobs, and all the profits are going to leave Pennsylvania.”

The medical marijuana in the state has been approved last April 17, 2016, with 17 initial qualifying medical conditions.

Economic Benefits to Pennsylvania

According to Pennsylvania’s Budget and Policy Center, over 18, 000 new jobs could be produced once recreational marijuana is to be legalized within the state. The bill also proposes that retail sales of cannabis be taxed at 19%, which could generate around $581 million per year for the state in new tax revenue.

“As an administrative agency tasked under current law with responsible, effective, and efficient regulation of the sale of wine and spirits in Pennsylvania, we generally leave policy discussions regarding the future of this agency up to the General Assembly and the Governor,” said press secretary for the Liquor Control Board, Shawn Kelly. “If, however, a new law presents the PLCB with additional or different duties and responsibilities, we would adapt accordingly.”

With the said measure, individuals convicted of possession of marijuana would have their criminal record expunged while inmates currently confined for such offenses would be released.  Employers would also no longer be able to fire or discipline employees if a drug screening shows the “presence of a nonintoxicating level of cannabis.”

“It is time for us to not just have a conversation but sit down and really look at details on how we can do this in Pennsylvania understanding that the support is there, the revenue will be there for us and we could do a lot of good things with those resources,” added State Rep. Jordan Harris, (D) Philadelphia County.

To date, the House Bill 1899 has been raised to the House Judiciary Committee for its consideration.

Cresco Labs attains government approval to grow marijuana in the state of Illinois. Three of its cultivation facilities in the states have been granted approval and licenses to cultivate from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Apart from the cannabis company, 3 other businesses have been issued licenses to operate their respective facilities. These include Ascend Illinois, Columbia Care, and PharmaCann. In total, the state sees a total of 21 operational facilities spearheaded by 17 cannabis cultivators.

In a press release, Cresco Labs chief executive officer and co-founder Charlie Bachtell expressed excitement for their company’s approval, saying they “are very pleased to receive the first adult-use cultivation approvals granted in Illinois, which speaks to our continued success in efficiently executing on our strategic priorities.”

Cresco Labs’ Plan and the Increasing Demand for Recreational Marijuana

According to the company CEO, “the approval of our cultivation facilities is a key milestone in our preparation for the legalization of recreational cannabis in Illinois on January 1, 2020. As the only operator with three cultivation facilities in Illinois – the maximum number allowed in the state – we will have the scale and capacity to effectively capitalize on the dramatic increase in demand for cannabis expected next year.”

Cresco Labs’ three facilities are located in Joliet, Kankakee, and Lincoln. The combined total space allotted for its sites reaches up to 630,000 square feet. All of its three labs in these locations have been permitted to grow recreational cannabis.

Under the Illinois state law, cultivators who have licenses will be allowed to grow marijuana geared for recreational use and purposes. Through gaining state approval and valid operating licenses,  cultivators will be given the chance to determine the type of products individuals and consumers will see and buy once recreational selling starts by 2020.

To keep up with the increasing demand for recreational marijuana, growers of the plant are making changes and gearing up to expand their operations. Apart from catering to an adult market in the recreational sector, cultivators are still providing medical cannabis to patients. Based on some reports, patients who availed marijuana as part of their medication grew in size.

In line with these demands, Cresco Labs intends to sell its Joliet and Kankakee operational sites for $46.3 million, providing an extra source of funding for the company. With help from Innovative Industrial Properties, the cannabis company plans to lease back these sites for a specific period of time.

Other companies who have been awarded licenses include Ascend Illinois’ facility in Barry, Columbia Care’s facility in Aurora, and PharmaCann’s two facilities in Dwight and Hillcrest.

On September 25, 2019, Australia’s capital- Canberra, recently legalized the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly has freshly passed a private member’s bill, which makes marijuana accessible to residents with more than 18 years of age.

Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson proposed the bill, with the intention of allowing qualified Canberrans to carry 50 grams of cannabis and to cultivate a maximum of two plants. Attorney-general Gordon Ramsay said that the bill came in a timely manner as there is a need to “treat drug addiction like a health issue” instead of viewing drug abuse as “an issue of right or wrong.”

Ramsay added that the laws would come with alcohol and drug abuse services, as well as the establishment of drug courts.

The attorney-general emphasized that even with the legalization of marijuana in Canberra, possession, and cultivation are still federally illegal. This means that individuals can still be prosecuted under Commonwealth laws.

The government said that it will be amending the laws “to keep relevant offenses in the criminal code,” and to add exemptions for qualified individuals.

In order for this law to be passed, Labor needed the support of the Greens. Fortunately, the party has “offered conditional support” for the bill.

Meanwhile, the proposal did not get the support of the Liberal opposition. Jeremy Hanson, ACT shadow attorney-general, said that the bill was “badly drafted” which can lead to various “perverse outcomes.”

With the support of the Greens, the bill was passed yesterday. This law will take effect on January 31, 2020.

Hanson added that the passage of this proposal will lead to more people using the plant. He also cited claims that the consumption of cannabis “would lead to increased rates of psychosis.” More drivers would also be indicted with drug-driving cases, Hanson added.

The shadow attorney-general also said that the bill will be in conflict with the existing commonwealth law, which will make law enforcement confusing for the authorities.

Police officers will still be able to charge individuals with marijuana-related offenses, according to Michael Kukulies-Smith, a criminal lawyer and chair of the criminal law committee under the ACT Law Society.

Kukulies-Smith also emphasized that the police will enforce Commonwealth law in the absence of territory laws. By simply adding an exemption, authorities can operate under the Commonwealth law. He added that an agreement between the government and the ACT Policing is the best route.