Pittsburgh Norml

06/04/2026

Action alert 🚨

06/01/2026

Heads up! 🚨 Thank you Rep. Dan Frankel.

PASSED 174-27: my bill to allow terminally ill patients to access medical cannabis while receiving care in hospitals. “Ryan’s Law” gives some very sick people the chance to spend their final days conscious, comfortable and connected to the people they love.

Read more: https://www.pahouse.com/Frankel/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=143850

05/27/2026

⚖️ "Consumers deserve representation in any hearing involving the future legal status of ma*****na."

That's the message we're sending to the DEA as federal officials prepare to debate one of the nation's most significant ma*****na policy changes.

🔗 Read more: https://norml.org/blog/2026/05/26/norml-seeks-seat-at-dea-ma*****na-rescheduling-hearing-says-consumers-must-be-represented/

05/22/2026

“…A Republican running to become Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor says that legalizing ma*****na would be “catastrophic” for the state, claiming it would increase the size of the illegal market, undermine job creation and harm public health.

Jason Richey, who won the primary this week for the GOP lieutenant governor nomination, criticized Democrats for seeking to raise needed revenue for the state through cannabis legalization.

“These budgets that are 7 billion over how much we bring in, and then the answer is, ‘we’re going to legalize drugs,’ which is going to be catastrophic,” he said on WILK radio’s Bob Cordaro Show.

“We know from Colorado, for instance, that the black market quadruples the amount of supply into a state when ma*****na gets legalized,” Richey claimed. “Employers don’t want to come to the state because they don’t want a workforce on drugs. DUI, or impaired driving up, mental health up, ER visits up. I mean, who wants that?”

The GOP candidate said that scenario is the “vision” of incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who supports legalizing cannabis.

“The Dems are this close to realizing it. And that’s why Stacy and I have stepped up,” he said, referring to Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity.

“We are going to fight back, and we’re going to take full control,” Richey said in the interview on Monday, one day ahead of the state’s primary election in which he and Garrity won the nomination of their party for the offices they are seeking. “And I think if we do and put conservative economic principles into play, we have a chance to help millions and millions of Pennsylvanians.”

Richey’s comments align with the position of his running mate, Garrity, who currently serves as state treasurer.

Late last month, Garrity pledged to veto a ma*****na legalization bill if lawmakers ever sent one to her desk—though she added that she doesn’t think the reform stands a chance of making it that far in the state.

“I don’t support legalizing recreational ma*****na,” she said. “Recreational ma*****na will not end up in the budget. They’re never going to pass it…not as long as Senate Republicans are in control of the Senate.”

Richey’s claims about cannabis legalization’s effect on the illegal market in Colorado run in contrast to what that state’s governor says the impact of the policy has been.

“Colorado has collected over $3B in ma*****na tax revenue to pave roads, build schools, rec centers and so much more, all while successfully cracking down on the underground market,” Gov. Jared Polis (D) said last year in response to similar criticism of ma*****na reform from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)….”

A Republican running to become Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor says that legalizing ma*****na would be “catastrophic” for the state, claiming it would increase the size of the illegal market, undermine job creation and harm public health. Jason Richey, who won the primary this week for the ...

05/21/2026

❌ " Governor Abigail Spanberger's veto is a profound disappointment to the many Virginia voters who believed her when she said on the campaign trail that she supported establishing a regulated adult-use cannabis market. It is also a slap in the face to the years of serious work undertaken by lawmakers, policy experts, advocates, public health stakeholders, and regulators who spent more than half a decade researching, debating, and carefully crafting this legislation."

🔗Read more: https://norml.org/blog/2026/05/19/virginia-governor-vetoes-legislation-regulating-adult-use-ma*****na-sales/

05/18/2026

The Cannabis Unity Week event was an outstanding success!

Our dedicated team delivered folders packed with vital information on social equity, legalization, h**p, and various cannabis-related causes to every single Senate member in the Russell Building.

We also had the privilege of meeting with Congressman Chris Deluzio’s staff, and I’m proud to say we convinced them to sign on to Representative Steve Cohen’s letter advocating for the release of all nonviolent cannabis offenders.

I am proud of our team and all of the advocates who united for this cause. This is just a glimpse of what we can accomplish together.

05/13/2026

🚗🌟 has just arrived in Washington, D.C.! We’re excited to kick off Unity Week alongside the coalition.

This week, our teams will be meeting with members of the House and Senate to advocate for our shared priorities. The message is clear: marginalized and working-class communities deserve safety and dignity, and federal decriminalization is a crucial step toward achieving that goal.

This evening the cannabis community came together for a packing party to prepare for our big lobbying day tomorrow. Our team is eager to reconnect with inspiring friends and colleagues, and we’re especially looking forward to sharing a house with the dedicated folks from 💚

Stay tuned for updates as we advocate for change! ✊💚

05/11/2026

is proud to join the Cannabis Unity Coalition and over a dozen other organizations (like , , , , , , , , and more!) for a federal lobbying day from May 12-14! 🌿

We’re advocating for essential reforms:

✅ Decriminalize cannabis
✅ Free all nonviolent cannabis offenders
✅ Clear records and restore rights

Together, we are stronger and raising our voices for justice and change!✊💚

05/09/2026

🌿🎉 Happy 100th Birthday, Sir David Attenborough! 🎉🌿

Today, we celebrate the legend who has calmed our panicking minds more times than we can count, especially when we’ve gone a little too deep into the green or beyond 🍄

Whenever we find ourselves violently high, contemplating the meaning of life or debating if our couch is secretly an ocean, it’s your soothing voice that brings us back to reality. Thank you for teaching us that even when we’re peeking at giraffes or dinosaurs, there’s beauty in the chaos!