Cannabis in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Capitol lit in green to celebrate passage of medical cannabis legislation by the House of Representatives in March 2016

Poster for 1977 Pittsburgh Smoke-In

Cannabis in Pennsylvania is illegal for recreational use, but possession of small amounts is decriminalized in several of the state's largest cities. Medical use was legalized in 2016 through a bill enacted by the state legislature.

Medical use legalized (2016)

On April 17, 2016, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 3 to legalize the medical use of cannabis. The bill allowed the use of cannabis with a physician's approval for treatment of 17 qualifying conditions listed in the bill. It also set up a state-licensed system for the distribution of cannabis to patients, with the requirement (later eliminated in 2018) that only non-smokable forms be sold. A 5% tax rate was imposed on sales between growers, processors, and dispensaries. No allowance for patient home cultivation was made.

Senate Bill 3 passed the House by a 149-46 vote and the Senate 42–7. Its primary sponsor was Republican Sen. Mike Folmer, who later admitted to using cannabis during his time in office (prior to the bill's passage) in order to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy treatment. Upon its enactment, Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize cannabis for medical use.

Statewide listening tour (2019)

In December 2018, during a Q&A session with constituents on Twitter, Gov. Wolf tweeted: "I think it is time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at [legalizing] recreational marijuana." One month later, Wolf announced a statewide tour by Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman to gather public input on the idea. Said Wolf: "We could choose to ignore what's going on in the world and just pretend that nothing has happened, nothing has changed, or we can actually open our eyes and ears and say, 'let's go out and ask—let's find out.'" The 3-month, 67-county tour kicked off February 11 in Harrisburg.

Municipal reforms

The cities in the below table have revised their municipal ordinances to lessen penalties for cannabis offenses. Police still retain the ability to charge individuals under state law, however. In Allentown and part of Bethlehem, police officials have said they will enforce state law only per the directive of Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

City	Date	Policy reform
Philadelphia	September 2014	City council voted 13–3 to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $25 fine.
Pittsburgh	December 2015	City council voted 7–2 to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $25 fine.
Harrisburg	July 2016	City council voted unanimously to decriminalize small amounts, punishable by a $75 fine.
State College	August 2016	City council voted 5–2 to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $250 fine.
York	July 2017	City council voted 4–1 to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $100 fine.
Erie	January 2018	City council voted unanimously to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $25 fine.
Allentown	May 2018	City council voted 4–3 to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $25 fine for a first offense.
Bethlehem	June 2018	City council voted 6–0 to decriminalize up to 30 grams, punishable by a $25 fine for a first offense.
Lancaster	September 2018	City council voted 6–1 to decriminalize small amounts, punishable by a $25 fine for a first offense.

On January 20, 2015, Constable Ed Quiggle, Jr. of Sunbury signed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Reform Resolution, making it official policy for the Office of Constable for the 9th Ward of the City to not enforce or cooperate in the enforcement of any acts which prohibit, penalize, or criminalize the possession, cultivation, or use of medical cannabis, hemp, cannabinoids, and other illegal or experimental drugs, becoming the first law enforcement agency in Pennsylvania, and perhaps the first in the United States, to enact such a policy.