Bill advances long-overdue justice and support for communities most impacted by the War on Drugs

Philadelphia, PA — The Last Prisoner Project praised the Pennsylvania House for passing House Bill 1200, a comprehensive cannabis legalization and regulation bill that centers justice, retroactive relief, and public health. Sponsored by Chair Dan Frankel, Representatives Rick Krajewski and, HB1200 charts a bold path forward for Pennsylvania to not only end cannabis prohibition but also repair the damage it has caused — especially to Black and Brown communities.

"Pennsylvania is long overdue for cannabis reform, and while HB1200 is not perfect, it seeks to undo the deep harms of prohibition,” said Adrian Rocha, Director of Policy at the  Last Prisoner Project. “This bill recognizes that legalization without justice is not enough. Through automatic expungement and retroactive relief, HB1200 sets a new standard for what responsible, people-first cannabis policy should look like. As the General Assembly continues to debate other important aspects of this bill, the Last Prisoner Project urges Pennsylvania lawmakers not lose lose sight of the broad consensus that legalization without retroactive relief is not best interest of justice or the Commonwealth. ”

Despite shifting public opinion and growing national momentum, Pennsylvania continues to criminalize people for marijuana use. This criminalization has devastated families and communities, created an unregulated market, and deprived the state of much-needed tax revenue.

HB1200 directly addresses these issues by including provisions for automatic expungement of past nonviolent cannabis offenses, sentence modification for those serving time for cannabis, investments in communities most impacted by the War on Drugs, and strong public health protections. 

HB 1200 will now move to through the Senate voting process.