Is the Keystone State next for legalization?

PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania would truly be the Keystone cannabis State

Driving the news: When Florida’s Amendment 3 didn’t reach the 60% threshold for passage, the cannabis industry’s eyes started to look elsewhere. And where most of those eyes landed are big states where population, politics, and leadership match up for possible reform. LIke Pennsylvania. 

What’s new? Last year, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro wanted to include cannabis legalization in his state’s budget, with tax funds generated going to much-needed state spending, like education. In 2025, Shapiro is looking to do the same. 

What’s different in 2025? Not all is the same from 2024 to 2025. That’s because neighboring states Ohio and Maryland have full-fledged cannabis programs generating much-needed tax revenue for both of those states. And as we’ve seen in other markets, people will cross state lines to buy legal cannabis. We can assume Pennsylvanians are no different.

Quotable: As reported by TribLive, Shapiro said this during a campaign stop in Pittsburgh: “I think it is an issue of fairness, justice and competitivenes…All the states around us have approved or are in the process of approving recreational marijuana. Folks are going across state borders in order to purchase it and paying taxes to those states. They should be keeping their money right here in Pennsylvania.”

Next? The legislature goes back in session in early 2025, and cannabis seems like it will be on the agenda, with General Assembly leaders already handling questions about if/when legalization will happen in Pennsylvania. 

So, the Cultivated team will be tracking the developments and keeping you up to date daily.

-JR

Anthony Martinelli, the Editor-in-Chief of The Marijuana Herald tweeted yesterday morning and update about SAFER Banking. Take this with whatever grain of year-end, Congress-at-the-end-of-session salt you’d like: 

Massachusetts cannabis sales continue to climb 📈

Massachusetts cannabis sales hit another milestone exceeding $7 billion of sales since legalization in late 2018. Not only that, but sales continue to pick up pace in 2024, with July and August 2024 being record months for the industry in the Bay State. Read the full details from the Cannabis Control Commission. 

New York looking to pause/limit licenses? ⏸️

A suggestion from New York’s  Cannabis Advisory Board recommended that state regulators at the Cannabis Control Board implement a temporary pause of new licenses beyond the 1,600 total to ensure that operators get up and running successfully, before being inundated with competition. More from MJBizDaily.

Wisconsin waving goodbye to cannabis tax dollars 👋

According to a recent memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau in Wisconsin, Illinois dispensaries collected over $36 million in tax revenue from Wisconsin cannabis consumers.

Dina Rollman joined  the Board of Directors of NewLake Capital Partners. Note that Dina Rollman also recently took over as the CEO and a Board member of Powr Plant Inc., which owns the StrainBrain platform. Cultivated caught up with Rollman at MJBizCon — so hold tight for that conversation being released in early 2025.

Coss Marte, the Co-Founder and CEO of New York City’s CONBUD, resigned from the Board of the New York Cannabis Retail Association. You can see his letter of resignation on the NYCRA LinkedIn post.

Housing Works Cannabis, New York’s first legal cannabis retailer, officially launched their second location in the NoMad neighborhood in New York. 

Agrify (which is now owned by Green Thumb Industries) closed their acquisition of Señorita beverages, prompting a fun quip from Ben Kolver:

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