Marijuana Policy Project Releases Pennsylvania Cannabis Voter Guide Ahead of May 19 Primary
- The Marijuana Policy Project released a Pennsylvania cannabis voter guide for the May 19 primary, detailing legislative candidates' positions on marijuana legalization district-by-district.
- The guide covers candidates for the Pennsylvania House and Senate, using surveys, public comments, and voting records including on the 2025 adult-use legalization bill HB 1200.
- Pennsylvania remains one of the few states in the region without legal recreational marijuana, while five of its six neighboring states have legalized adult-use cannabis.
- The guide aims to inform voters ahead of key election dates, noting Pennsylvania’s current medical marijuana program and the ongoing legislative debates over adult-use legalization.
The Marijuana Policy Project has released a Pennsylvania cannabis voter guide ahead of the state’s May 19 primary election, offering voters a district-by-district look at where legislative candidates stand on legalizing marijuana.
The guide covers candidates running for the Pennsylvania House and Senate, with every House seat and half of the Senate on the ballot this year. MPP says it compiled the guide using candidate surveys, public comments and incumbents’ voting records, including votes on HB 1200, the adult-use legalization proposal advanced in 2025 that would have legalized marijuana through state-run stores.
Candidates were asked whether they support making marijuana legal for adults 21 and older to use, possess and purchase, while establishing health and safety rules and taxes on sales.
Pennsylvania remains one of the few states in the region without legal adult-use marijuana. Five of the state’s six bordering states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, including Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. West Virginia remains the lone bordering state without an adult-use program.
The guide includes both candidates who responded to MPP’s survey and those for whom the organization says it could not find a public position. Several candidates are listed as supporting legalization, while others are listed as opposed or are noted based on past votes.
The release comes ahead of several key election dates. Pennsylvania’s deadline to apply for a mail ballot is Tuesday, May 12, at 5 p.m., while Election Day is Tuesday, May 19.
Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016, with the state’s first dispensary sales beginning in 2018. Adult-use legalization has repeatedly been debated in the Legislature in recent years, but lawmakers have yet to approve a final bill.