Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

Another bill has been introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that would legalize marijuana in the Commonwealth.

Reps. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) and Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) co-sponsored House Bill 1200 and pointed out that Pennsylvania is now an outlier, as 24 states, including five of the six that border the state, have legalized recreational cannabis.

“By legalizing and regulating cannabis thoughtfully, we can avoid pitfalls that have marred roll outs in other states,” Frankel said. “Our plan will create clear rules that protect consumers, educate the public, and ensure that Pennsylvania small businesses and taxpayers – not out-of-state corporations – benefit from the profits.”

“The time is now for Pennsylvania,” said Krajewski, who spent the last legislative session leading six hearings to study the successes and shortcomings of cannabis programs nationwide. “We have listened carefully to public health experts, criminal justice reformers, small business advocates and community leaders. Our bill reflects what we’ve learned — that we can and must legalize cannabis in a way that is safe, equitable and beneficial to all Pennsylvanians.”

Key priorities of the bill include:

• Automatically clearing criminal records and advancing restorative justice for those impacted by cannabis-related offenses.
• Reinvesting tax revenue into communities disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs.
• Implementing critical public health protections, including THC limits, marketing restrictions and child safety measures.
• Creating pathways for diverse and local entrepreneurs to participate in the regulated cannabis market, with priority on licensing and contracting.
• Maximizing state revenue and accountability with publicly owned and accountable retail stores.

There was controversy surrounding the introduction of the 173-page bill, which occurred on Sunday during a non-voting session of the House and has already been pre-noticed for a second consideration vote on Tuesday.

“This is not lawmaking. This is rushing, railroading and robbing the public of its right to know,” said Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette). “This bill carries enormous consequences for our youth, our public health, our workforce and our communities. Something of this magnitude should not be fast-tracked with just a few short days for review and reaction.”

“Today’s industrialized marijuana can cause significant harm and addiction, and a push for recreational legalization — incentivizing the government to profit from more addictive use of this harmful drug — would hurt more Pennsylvania families,” said Dan Bartkowiak, chief strategy officer with Pennsylvania Family Council.

“Prohibition was never about public safety — it was about control and punishment, targeting and devastating Black and Brown Pennsylvanians,” said Krajewski. “The cannabis industry has been monopolized by corporatized private equity and it is time to propose an alternative retail model that will benefit all Pennsylvanians. We need to repair the harms of criminalization, create family-sustaining union jobs and make this industry work for all of us.”

The bill passed the House Health Committee by a party-line 14-12 vote and now heads to the chamber floor. Should it pass through the Democratic majority House, the bill is expected to face stiff resistance from a state Senate that is controlled by the GOP.