Medical marijuana introduced in Senate
For the second session in a row, Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montco) has introduced a
medical marijuana bill in the Pennsylvania Senate. SB 1003 is essentially a mirror image of HB
1393 that was introduced last session, debated, but never voted on prior to the
end of the legislative session. Sen. Leach is joined this session by three
other senators as co-sponsors – Larry Farnese (D-Philadelphia), Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheney/Westmoreland/Armstrong)
and Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheney).
SB 1003 would allow seriously ill
and debilitated Pennsylvanians to use and possess medical marijuana free from
the threat of arrest and prosecution at the state level so long as they have
their physicians’ recommendations. In addition, this bill would create state
regulated dispensaries so that Pennsylvania patients would have immediate, safe,
and reliable access to their medicine. Please
email your senator and ask him or her to support this proposal.
Although this is the second session
in a row that the General Assembly has considered medical marijuana legislation,
your legislators still need to know that this issue is vital to Pennsylvania
residents. Tell your legislators that seriously ill patients should not be
treated as criminals any longer. Click
here to send a letter to your state senator and representative, urging
them to support medical marijuana.
Can you or someone you know benefit from medical marijuana?
If you are a medical professional or a patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, or if you know somebody who might benefit from medical marijuana, we would like to hear from you. Additionally, if you are a law enforcement official or a clergy member, please email state@mpp.org to learn how you can be of special help.
Read up on the current status of marijuana law in the Keystone State
Under current law, an individual arrested for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in Pennsylvania can be sentenced to a maximum of 30 days in jail and fined up to $500. Additionally, simple possession arrests accounted for 79% of all marijuana arrests made in Pennsylvania in 2007. To learn more about the current status of marijuana law in Pennsylvania, please see Dr. John Gettman, PhD.’s report.
Stay up to date on Pennsylvania marijuana policy reform
To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Pennsylvania, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service now.
