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HARRISBURG – State Senators Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) and Mike Folmer (R-Dauphin/Lebanon/York) today announced the reintroduction of their medical cannabis legislation. The new bill, Senate Bill 3, is nearly identical to Senate Bill 1182 of the 2013-2014 Session, which passed the Senate on September 24, 2014, by a vote of 43-7. Senate Bill 3 has 25 cosponsors, including 11 Republicans and 14 Democrats. It has been referred to the Senate State Government Committee. Senators Leach and Folmer are both members of the committee. Senator Folmer is also the Majority Chairperson of the committee. Senate Bill 3 would allow patients who have a recommendation from their physician to purchase and use medical cannabis from centers licensed by a to-be-created State Board of Medical Cannabis Licensing. The growth, processing, and dispensing of medical cannabis would be regulated by the licensing board. Senator Leach released the following statement upon the introduction of Senat...

The Pennsylvania State Senate has voted 43-7 in favor of a bill that would legalize some forms of cannabis for medical purposes. The bill now goes on to the State House, where it is expected to meet some resistance. Democratic Senator Daylin Leach, co-sponsor of the bill, thanked Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati and Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, who control the Senate calendar. "The path of least resistance is always not to run something controversial ... put it on the back burner," Leach said. "It took a lot of courage and a lot of push back among people in their own party to run this bill. The people who have family members who are suffering should remember the very important role they played in moving this bill forward." We'll have more on this story later this afternoon. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

As state lawmakers returned to Harrisburg today, dozens of supporters of medical marijuana rallied in support of a bill they hope will legalize a form of the drug that would provide pain relief and other benefits with a wide range of medical needs. Under the bill, it could not be smoked, but delivered in other forms, including extracted oil, edible products and vapor. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Mike Folmer, says he expects the bill to be sent to the floor next week. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) today sent an open letter to former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, inviting him to publicly debate marijuana policy. Leach is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 528, which would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania. He is the co-prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1182, which would regulate medical marijuana in the Commonwealth. Kennedy’s group opposes these measures and has fought policies like these across the United States. Leach’s open letter to Kennedy: I am a state Senator in Pennsylvania and the prime sponsor of two pieces of legislation related to marijuana. Senate Bill 1182, which I have co-prime sponsored with Senator Mike Folmer, would regulate medical cannabis in our Commonwealth. Senate Bill 528 would legalize recreational use of marijuana in Pennsylvania. I have spent a great deal of time debating and speaking about these issues across Pennsylvania and nationally. I have enclosed ...

State Senator Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny), Democratic Chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, announced that the Committee passed Senate Bill 1182 establishing access to medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. “After hearing so many moving and deeply personal stories on the issue of medical cannabis, I am proud that the Law & Justice Committee passed legislation today that meets the needs of patients in our Commonwealth. The number one priority of Senate Bill 1182 is patient care and compassion, and the bipartisan bill that we crafted certainly reflects that,” Senator Ferlo said. Senate Bill 1182, sponsored by Senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), was amended in the Law and Justice Committee with language to improve the bill and to include best practices from other states with legal medical cannabis. Medical uses would include using extracted oil, edible products, ointments, tinctures, and vaporized medical cannabis. The proposal passed by the committee would allow for growth...

Governor Tom Corbett has changed his mind about medical marijuana, and is now supporting the responsible use of medical cannabis to help children with severe seizure disorders. Senator Joe Scarnati says he applauds Corbett’s decision to allow access to this drug, which is an oil derivative of cannabis that is taken orally. Scarnati adds that as a medical marijuana bill makes its way through the Legislature, he will continue to work to support the children who need it, while ensuring the public safety. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

(News Release) HARRISBURG – A bill sponsored by Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) and Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Dauphin/Lebanon/York) that would legalize medical cannabis today received a hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee as advocates and families gathered at the Capitol to urge their lawmakers to support the bill. S.B. 1182, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, would legalize the use of medical cannabis by patients as recommended by attending physicians. The introduction of this bill marks the first time in Senate history that a medical cannabis bill has been drafted with bipartisan support. “I am thankful that my colleagues decided to consider this bill today, as it is of critical importance,” Leach said. “The longer we wait to pass this legislation, the more children we will put at risk. I hope that we can advance S.B. 1182 expeditiously for the sake of the thousands of Pennsylvanians who need it.” Christine Brann, the mother of a son with Dravet Syn...

An editorial by State Sen. Daylin Leach Garrett Brann is about to turn 3 years old. He has a form of epilepsy, known as "Dravet Syndrome," which is robbing him of his childhood, a normal life, and so much more. The disease manifests itself primarily in almost constant seizures. Garrett routinely has more than 100 seizures, of varying degrees of intensity, every day. Garrett's story is obviously sad, but what makes it truly tragic is that there is a treatment which could very possibly end Garrett's seizures and allow him to live a normal life. However, because that treatment is a derivative of marijuana, he is not allowed to have it. As a result of these frightening and damaging seizures, Garrett's brain does not rest long enough to develop normally. He, like all children with Dravet's, suffers from severe cognitive underdevelopment, which only gets worse with time. He used to be able to feed himself and speak, but he has lost those abilities. He can ...

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday to debate HB 1393, the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. Introduced by Rep. Mark B. Cohen, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, HB 1393 would allow seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest or jail if their doctor has recommended it. Qualified patients who register with the state would be able to grow six plants or purchase marijuana through compassion centers, and sales of medical marijuana could be taxed, according to the bill. The entire text of the bill can be read here .