Marijuana Moment
The #PASenate Transportation Committee has approved my #SB167 to protect Pennsylvanians suffering from chronic illness from an inconsistency in the state’s DUI law that leaves them vulnerable to wrongful criminal conviction. @SenLangerholc @PASenateGOP https://t.co/QR6PaFddd4
— Senator Bartolotta (@senbartolotta) June 28, 2022
A Pennsylvania Senate committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would provide protections for medical marijuana patients against facing DUI charges unless they are actively impaired behind the wheel. And the full Senate separately passed a measure that to provide state-level protections for banks that work with cannabis businesses.
The Senate Transportation Committee reported out the DUI legislation, SB 167 from Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R). And it now heads to the Senate floor for consideration. It would amend state statute to require proof of active impairment before a registered patient can be prosecuted for driving under the influence.
The current lack of specific protections for the state’s roughly 368,000 patients puts them in legal jeopardy when on the road due to the fact that cannabis metabolites can stay in their systems long after they are no longer under the influence, supporters say.
“While the responsible medical cannabis patient never drives impaired, the risk of a zero-tolerance DUI arrest and prosecution is one of the most serious issues confronting Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis community,” Bartolotta said in a press release. “My bill will protect this community without sacrificing the safety of our roads.”
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Pennsylvania Lawmakers Advance Medical Marijuana DUI Protections And Cannabis Banking Reform Bills
