There is a good chance the General Assembly will pass legislation legalizing medical marijuana in 2015. On Jan. 26, Pennsylvania Sens. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, and Mike Folmer, R-Dauphin, introduced SB 3, which is virtually identical to the bill they introduced last year (SB 1182). It would legalize medical marijuana for qualifying medical conditions. That bill was not voted on in the state House of Representatives. Mere days after his inauguration, Gov. Tom Wolf gave an impromptu speech in which he vowed to support the new bill if and when it makes it to his desk. If it passes, Pennsylvania will become the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana, joining its neighbors in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.
Medical marijuana advocates have criticized Pennsylvania legislators for moving too slowly on this issue. A review of SB 3, however, suggests Pennsylvania’s patience may ultimately pay off. By waiting, the General Assembly can learn from medical marijuana experiments in other states and avoid the potential pitfalls that have stalled or even derailed other programs. Thus, Pennsylvania can stand apart, not by being first, but by enacting the most reasoned medical marijuana legislation to date.
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