Marijuana legalization did not make it into the Pennsylvania legislature’s final budget deal, despite the governor’s push for the reform. But several House and Senate lawmakers tell Marijuana Moment that they see a path forward to end criminalization in the fast-approaching 2026 session.
While Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said in August that he wouldn’t “concede” on his plan to legalize adult-use cannabis through the budget amid GOP opposition, he ultimately accepted the plan that lawmakers advanced without marijuana policy components, signing the legislation on Wednesday.
That didn’t come as a particular surprise to many legislators. Several past attempts to enact legalization through the budget process have failed, and the idea of adding the reform amid a months-long stalemate on broader economic policies was met with resistance—particularly in the GOP-controlled Senate.
House Health Committee Chairman Dan Frankel (D) told Marijuana Moment on Thursday that it “would’ve been a welcome surprise to see recreational cannabis legalization pass as part of the budget, but we weren’t counting on it.”
“So far, there’s no sign the Pennsylvania Senate has the votes to end prohibition—and there’s unfortunately no path forward without support from both GOP leadership and a majority of Senate members,” the chairman, who
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