Rabb encouraged by movement on adult use cannabis
Rep. Christopher M. Rabb July 9, 2024 | 3:52 PM
HARRISBURG, July 9 – After joining colleagues from the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus for a news conference on adult use cannabis today, state Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., said he is encouraged by the continued groundswell of support among state legislators for equitable and inclusive adult use cannabis legalization.
Rabb, founding member of the PA Cannabis Caucus and founding chair of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Equity Committee, has been a long-time advocate and ardent supporter of smart and truly equitable adult use cannabis legalization.
“We have to get this right. It’s not about being the next state to legalize cannabis; it’s about being the best,” Rabb said. “We’re going to get it done right when people who are closest to the pain say, ‘this is good;’ it’s not going to be the lobbyists and it’s not going to be the industry elites.
“We must commit to establishing a truly independent, autonomous quasi-governmental entity free from the political vicissitudes of the legislative and executive branches that abound. It is one thing to say we are going to set aside some money, but if you don’t empower and generously fund an independent and autonomous entity to steward those funds to do the things that our legislature has failed to do for generations, all is for naught.
“The entity that oversees the broad array of social equity measures must be well-resourced, competently managed and kept at arm’s length from the intervention of elected officials in order to ensure that nothing stands in the way of it fulfilling its mission to substantively address the needs of impacted communities.”
Video from the PLBC news conference can be found here.