Last week, something unusual happened in Harrisburg. A Senate Republican committee chair brought up the cannabis legalization bill I introduced with Rep. Rick Krajewski — just to vote it down.

It was all theater. No legalization bill will become law without a negotiation with HB 1200, the House-passed legislation. So why put on the show?

Because we’ve hit a nerve.

HB 1200 doesn’t follow the same playbook other states used when they legalized weed. And that’s exactly why the big cannabis companies are worried.

In state after state, legalization has followed one formula: talk a big game about equity, small business and public health — then watch the multistate operators (MSOs) lobby, sue and undermine that program into irrelevance. It happened with Pennsylvania’s medical program — now 10 companies own more than 70% of dispensaries. It’s happened in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Maine … the examples are endless.

Make no mistake: the industry would rather keep cannabis illegal in Pennsylvania than see it legalized in a way that doesn’t boost their stock prices – just ask the “ResponsiblePA Coalition,” their audaciously named new industry group. They want control. And when they get it, public health, small businesses and community benefits all get pushed aside.

We think Pennsylvania deserves better.

After holding six hearings and learning from the mistakes other states made, we put together a bill that sets up a hybrid system — one that includes public retail stores alongside opportunities for small, local businesses. The goal? A cannabis program that’s built to serve the public, not just corporate shareholders.

Here’s what that looks like in practice: union jobs with benefits and pensions. Local entrepreneurs growing and delivering cannabis. Hundreds of millions in public revenue for schools, transit, housing and violence prevention.

It also means smarter public health protections. Publicly owned retail stores aren’t out to maximize profit — they’re mission-driven. That means no upselling high-potency products, no marketing to kids or vulnerable folks, and consistent safety standards across the board. We can make sure the products are clearly labeled, responsibly sold and safe to use.

Some opponents have claimed, without evidence, that the federal government would interfere with a public retail model. Fortunately, that argument is nonsense. Marijuana has been a Schedule I drug for over 50 years. If federal agents wanted to kick down doors in legal states, they could have done so at any point. But they haven’t.

In fact, Oregon had a city-run cannabis store for six years. Louisiana’s two state-owned universities grew all the state’s medical marijuana for nearly a decade. The federal government has had their chance to put up a fight. They didn’t, because public retail isn’t a legal risk. It’s just not what corporate cannabis wants.

Do you know what is risky? Doing the same thing that’s already failed. Letting MSOs dominate and hoping equity somehow trickles down. Fighting an uphill battle years later to address public health problems.

That’s why we’re fighting so hard for a different approach. Because we remember what prohibition has cost us — especially Black and brown communities. Years of overpolicing, incarceration and economic exclusion. All while doing little to protect public health.

Legalization should be about more than opening dispensaries. It should be about repairing the harm that’s been done and building something better. That’s what HB 1200 does. It’s about putting Pennsylvanians first — whether they use cannabis or not.

This isn’t just our idea. The National Academies of Sciences recently recommended public models like ours. Even the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse has argued that this kind of approach helps minimize health risks.

So yes, we’re doing something different. That’s the point.

One hundred and two House Democrats have already said loud and clear: This is the kind of legalization Pennsylvania needs — one that prioritizes public health, racial justice and real economic opportunity.

If Senate Republicans have a better plan to meet those goals, we’re ready to listen.

Pennsylvania has a chance to get this right. Let’s not hand it over to the highest bidder.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)