State Reps. Jake Wheatley and Dan Frankel, both Democrats from Allegheny County, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would make it legal for anyone age 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis for recreational purposes in Pennsylvania.
The legislation, House Bill 2050, bears the same name as a failed marijuana legalization bill that Wheatley introduced in 2020. Several previous bills also have failed to gain traction in the GOP-controlled legislature.
"Now, more than ever, Pennsylvania needs to create jobs and industry; what better way to do that than to create a brand new industry?" Wheatley wrote to colleagues in a memorandum announcing the bill.
HB 2050 would create a permitting process for growers, processors and dispensaries in addition to a 10% wholesale tax on business-to-business transactions. Renewal fees would be based on gross revenue, meaning companies bringing in the most money would pay the highest renewal fees. Wheatley said growers and processors who partner with existing Pennsylvania farms would not be required to pay the wholesale tax.
Consumers, meanwhile, would pay graduated excise and sales taxes beginning at 6% for the first two years. Over the next two years, the taxes increase to 12% and then 19% for each year after.