Amid continued talk in Harrisburg of legalizing adult-use marijuana use in the commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival runs Saturday and Sunday in the Kutztown area of Berks County.
Promoters promise “hundreds of vendors, dozens of unique food vendors, all with a cannacentric focus” at Renninger’s Antique and Farmers’ Market, 740 Noble St. in Maxatawny Township just south of the Kutztown border.
General admission is $20 plus a $1 fee, with tickets available for purchase through penncannafest.com. The outdoor event is billed as all-ages — minors under 18 get in free but must be accompanied by a paid adult. Leashed pets are permitted. Parking is free.
Founded in Scranton in 2015, the Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival has been held for years in the Kutztown area.
Marijuana is a potentially key part of negotiations on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget proposal, which is due to be passed by the start of the fiscal year July 1, pennlive.com reported last month: The first-term Democrat proposes legalizing and taxing adult-use recreational marijuana — a significant boost to the commonwealth’s finances, if it comes to pass.
“Shapiro is not breaking new ground,” Spotlight PA reported in February. “His predecessor, Democrat Tom Wolf, came out in support of legalization in 2019 and unsuccessfully pushed for it in his final years in office.”
- MORE: What to know about pitch to legalize marijuana in Pa., its chances in the legislature, and more
Pennsylvania agriculture officials see legalized marijuana as a potential new cash crop for farmers, pennlive.com reported, also in February.
State Sens. Daniel Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, introduced Senate Bill 846 a year ago to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania. It’s languished before the Senate Law and Justice Committee since last July during the 2023-24 legislative session.
Pennsylvania in 2016 permitted medical marijuana use, with dispensaries opening in February 2018. Keystone Canna Remedies on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem was the first dispensary permitted to open. It’s now called The Apothecarium, the same as Phillipsburg’s adult-use recreational marijuana store, where sales began April 21, 2022.
Including New Jersey, recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states, CBS New reported Saturday, citing the Pew Research Center. New Jersey passed the milestone of 100 medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries earlier this year, nj.com reported Saturday.
Laughlin this past week introduced Senate Bill 1146 in a bid to protect the Second Amendment rights of Pennsylvania medical marijuana users. It would amend the state’s Uniform Firearms Act that deems all marijuana use as unlawful, prohibiting someone with a valid medical marijuana card from having a license to carry a firearm.
“My legislation will make sure a valid medical marijuana cardholder is no longer considered an unlawful marijuana user,” Laughlin said in a news release. “Although marijuana remains illegal under federal law, we should be updating Pennsylvania’s laws to ensure valid medical marijuana cardholders are not denied their rights.”
Saturday’s date, 4/20, is considered stoner code for marijuana use. Easton and Phillipsburg are among areas with events planned to coincide with the date and Earth Day, which is Monday.
Law enforcement officials plan to step up enforcement of impaired-driving laws this weekend, wfmz.com reported. Pennsylvania State Police at Hamburg in Berks County on Thursday announced “increased DUI patrols, to include a sobriety checkpoint, over the upcoming weekends. The patrols will look for signs of operators being under the influence of alcohol or drugs and take appropriate enforcement action.”
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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.