Congratulations Pennsylvania!

I am excited to announce that as of this afternoon the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania has voted to pass legislation that will legalize medical marijuana in the state. This legislation has been bounced back and forth between the Senate and the House over the course of the last 11 months. The members of the Senate had already approved the measure in 2015 while House leadership delayed the bill until it’s amended version came about in March.

To much surprise the House of Representatives voted 149-46 this afternoon to also pass this bill. Senate Bill 3 allows for up to 25 marijuana processors and cultivators, and up to 50 dispensaries that will provide medical cannabis to qualified patients who have a recommendation from qualified physicians. The qualifying conditions eligible to receive cannabis therapy are much the same as in New York and Minnesota. The bill permits for the dispensing of herbal cannabis, but this doesn’t mean that patients will be walking around blazing fatties. This bill only permits vaporization and the use of marijuana-infused extracts or oils, but it does not permit smoking the herb.

With Pennsylvania being one of the top 10 largest states in the United States and the home of over 13 million people, the industry is sure to be one of the larger medical marijuana markets in the United States once implemented.

The last step for this bill to become law is for Governor Tom Wolf to sign it once it hits his desk. The governor has already spoken out in support of this bill and has stated that he will sign it into law when he receives it. This is a large victory for the state of Pennsylvania as well as the cannabis community as a whole. Once Governor Wolf signs this bill, Pennsylvania will become the 24th state in the United States to legalize medical marijuana.

To think almost half America is given the access to safe medical cannabis warms my heart. Knowing how many it’s helping. Turnover to the other half of the nation who still suffer and fight for the same right. Pennsylvania is another battle won in this war for our rights to consume a plant of the earth. A single seed can tip the scales. With half the nation on board, it could be anyone’s influence on the right individual, and we could see the end of cannabis prohibition entirely. Another step forward into greener future if you ask me.

Congratulations to the state representatives, patients and cannabis activists in the state that have dedicated so much of their time and their efforts to seeing that changes were brought to the state in regards to marijuana.