State Rep. Chris Rabb holds press briefing on medical cannabis legislation
Rep. Christopher M. Rabb February 24, 2022 | 11:30 AM
State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., held a press briefing today in conjunction with Americans for Safe Access, a group that promotes medical cannabis education and reform.
Even though medical cannabis has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2016, Americans for Safe Access’ State of the States report graded the commonwealth a “C” and detailed how the state’s program could be improved across an array of key categories.
Rabb said medical cannabis patients need protections so they can consume their prescribed medication without fear of retribution.
He has introduced several pieces of cannabis-related legislation, including three bills that would seek to rectify these issues.
Employee Protections for Medical Cannabis Patients would prohibit an employee from being terminated due to failing a drug test for medically prescribed cannabis. Pennsylvania employees should not have to worry about losing their employment due to consumption of their prescribed medical cannabis.
The Tenant Protections for Medical Cannabis Patients legislation would protect patients from being evicted for possessing and consuming their prescribed medication.
Another piece of legislation would remove DUI penalties for medical cannabis patients. The 34 states that permit some degree of cannabis use -- except Pennsylvania, which has a no tolerance policy -- have updated their DUI laws to protect medical cannabis patients, Rabb said.
“As a medical cannabis patient, myself, I am thankful that Pennsylvania has legalized use of this plant for medicinal purposes,” Rabb said. “I also strongly support legalizing adult-use cannabis in a responsible and equitable manner.”
“In the interim, we must bolster our medical cannabis program to further protect the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who, in consultation with their physicians, have become legal consumers of this medication,” Rabb said.