HARRISBURG – The Senate today failed to advance Senate Bill 49, legislation sponsored by Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-49) to protect children and consumers from unregulated intoxicating hemp products and establish a dedicated Cannabis Control Board to oversee the commonwealth’s medical marijuana program.
Laughlin said the development represents a missed opportunity to address a growing public safety concern involving intoxicating THC products that are widely available in gas stations, smoke shops, convenience stores and online marketplaces with little to no oversight.
“Across Pennsylvania, intoxicating hemp products are being sold with virtually no safeguards — no testing standards, no meaningful labeling requirements and no reliable age verification,” Laughlin said. “We have seen children hospitalized and students requiring emergency medical attention after consuming these products. That reality should have been enough to bring us together on this issue.”
Senate Bill 49 would have aligned Pennsylvania law with federal standards by prohibiting intoxicating hemp products containing more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight or more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. The legislation also would have banned synthetic cannabinoids and provided clearer enforcement tools for law enforcement agencies.
In addition, the bill proposed transferring oversight of Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Program from the Department of Health to a newly created Cannabis Control Board designed to provide consistent regulation, improved transparency and specialized expertise.
Laughlin expressed disappointment the Senate did not act to close what he described as a dangerous regulatory gap.
“Pennsylvania is choosing to leave intoxicating ‘gas station weed’ completely unregulated,” Laughlin said. “That means no testing, no oversight, no age checks and no real accountability. It preserves a system where these products can be marketed like candy and sold wherever a transaction can take place.”
He added that failure to act leaves parents, schools, and law enforcement without the tools they need to address an escalating public health issue.
“Some will call this a political issue, but it isn’t — it’s a public safety issue,” Laughlin said. “If we are willing to accept a marketplace where children can easily access intoxicating THC products with no safeguards, then we are making a decision about our priorities. I believe our children should come first.”
Despite the outcome, Laughlin said he intends to continue pushing for stronger regulations to protect Pennsylvania families.
“I will not stop working to bring order and accountability to this space,” Laughlin said. “Protecting children and ensuring consumer safety is not optional — it is our responsibility.”
LAUGHLIN CONTACT: Chris Carroll, 814-453-2515