Dan Laughlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 49th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Sean Wiley |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Millcreek Township,Erie County,Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Penn State Behrend (attended) |
Dan Laughlin is a Pennsylvania politician. A Republican,he is the Pennsylvania State Senator for the 49th district. Before his election to the State Senate in 2016,Laughlin worked as a homebuilder. [1]
In August 2022,Laughlin sued the chair of the Erie County Democratic Party,Jim Wertz,as well as the alternative newspaper the Erie Reader ,after the Reader published an op-ed written by Wertz which claimed Laughlin was on a presidential pardon request list for those involved in attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. In the op-ed,Wertz referenced a letter by Congressman Mo Brooks,which said the Congressman had asked then-President Donald Trump for pardons for those who signed "the" amicus brief in the case Texas v. Pennsylvania ,which sought to overturn Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election. Wertz also accused Congressman Mike Kelly of being on the same "pardon request list" as Laughlin. In Texas,Kelly and Laughlin signed separate briefs. The brief Laughlin signed stated the signatories were not supporting the plaintiff nor defendant. Laughlin's lawsuit also contended there was never an actual "pardon request list." [2] The lawsuit would reveal private communications where Laughlin referred to legal efforts to alter the election result as "crap." He also blamed Kelly for "hurting" the Republican Party by supporting such efforts. [3]
Laughlin was the first Pennsylvania Republican to endorse the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania. [4] In 2021,Laughlin and State Senator Sharif Street sponsored a bill to legalize cannabis use for individuals over the age of twenty-one. He and Street had previously sponsored a similar bill in 2019. [5] Laughlin said his support for such a bill came from concern for Pennsylvanians consuming unregulated cannabis from out of state. [6]
Laughlin voted for House Bill 1024 in the 2020-2021 legislative session,which permitted medical marijuana companies to remediate product and use additional pesticides among other provisions,but voted against the home grow amendment,Amendment No. A-2029,introduced by Senator Shariff Street in association with House Bill 1024. [7] [8] Since that vote,Laughlin introduced Senate Bill 869 to permit registered medical patients to grow up to six plants,similar to the amendment he previously voted against in connection with House Bill 1024. [9] There has not been any vote or action on Senate Bill 869,although the Pennsylvania Senate held a committee vote on three other cannabis bills intended to benefit the existing medical marijuana companies that operate in Pennsylvania. [10]
Laughlin is a longtime supporter of open primary elections. [11]
Jacob Doyle Corman III is an American politician who served as the president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate from 2020 to 2022.
In the United States,cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. At the federal level,cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act,determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use,prohibiting its use for any purpose. Despite this prohibition,federal law is generally not enforced against the possession,cultivation,or intrastate distribution of cannabis in states where such activity has been legalized.
Michael Regan is an American politician and former U.S. Marshal. A Republican,he is the Pennsylvania State Senator from the 31st district. Prior to that,he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 92nd district from 2013 to 2016.
Cannabis in Utah is illegal for recreational use. Possession of small amounts is punishable as a misdemeanor crime. Medical use was legalized by ballot measure in November 2018,after a CBD-only law was passed in 2014 and a limited "right to try" law was passed in March 2018.
Cannabis in Virginia is legal for medical use and recreational use. The first medical marijuana dispensary opened in August 2020,and adult recreational use became legalized in July 2021.
Cannabis in the United States Virgin Islands is legal for recreational use since January 18,2023,under territorial law. Legislation to legalize was passed by the territorial legislature in 2022,and was signed into law on January 18. Medical use was legalized in 2019 through a bill that passed the Senate 9–4. It remains illegal under federal law.
The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative,also known as Amendment 2,was approved by voters in the Tuesday,November 8,2016,general election in the State of Florida. The bill required a super-majority vote to pass,with at least 60% of voters voting for support of a state constitutional amendment. Florida already had a medical marijuana law in place,but only for those who are terminally ill and with less than a year left to live. The goal of Amendment 2 is to alleviate those suffering from these medical conditions:cancer,epilepsy,glaucoma,positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS),post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),Crohn's disease,Parkinson's disease,multiple sclerosis,chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualified medical condition or other debilitating medical conditions comparable to those listed. Under Amendment 2,the medical marijuana will be given to the patient if the physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient. Smoking the medication was not allowed under a statute passed by the Florida State Legislature,however this ban was struck down by Leon County Circuit Court Judge Karen Gievers on May 25,2018.
Cannabis in Pennsylvania is illegal for recreational use,but possession of small amounts is decriminalized in several of the state's largest cities. Medical use was legalized in 2016 through a bill passed by the state legislature.
Cannabis in Minnesota is legal for recreational use as of August 1,2023. On May 30,2023,Governor Tim Walz signed House File 100 into law,legalizing the use,possession,and cultivation of cannabis within the state. Licenses for commercial sales will likely not be issued until 2025,in order for the Office of Cannabis Management to establish regulatory frameworks.
Cannabis in New Jersey is legal for both medical use and recreational use. An amendment to the state constitution legalizing cannabis became effective on January 1,2021,and enabling legislation and related bills were signed into law by governor Phil Murphy on February 22,2021.
Cannabis in Ohio is legal for recreational use. Issue 2,a ballot measure to legalize recreational use,passed by a 57–43 margin on November 7,2023. Possession and personal cultivation of cannabis became legal on December 7,2023,with the first licensed sales yet to occur under the law. Prior to legalization,Ohio decriminalized possession of up 100 grams in 1975,with several of the state's major cities later enacting further reforms.
Giovanni M. "John" DiSanto is an American politician from Pennsylvania currently serving as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senator for the 15th district since 2017. His district is based in the state capital of Harrisburg.
Sharif Street is an American politician and attorney. He is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 3rd district since 2017. In 2018,Street was elected Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party under Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills of Allegheny County,and was elected Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party on June 18,2022,the first person of color to fill that role.
Scott Martin is an American politician from Pennsylvania who has been a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 13th district since January 3,2017. He was previously a two-term Lancaster county commissioner and chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican County Commissioners Caucus. Martin is married to Amber Martin and they have four children. After a six-month exploratory committee,on December 11,2021,Martin announced his intention to seek the office of governor of Pennsylvania. He suspended his gubernatorial bid on February 11,2022,because of complications from a broken leg and other injuries suffered in an accident,resulting in surgery.
Timothy Ivan Melson is an American politician and physician. A member of the Republican Party,he serves in the Alabama State Senate,representing its 1st district since 2014.
Christopher Gebhard is a Pennsylvania state senator who represents the 48th district,which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Dauphin and York counties. He is a member of the Republican Party and the owner of an insurance and risk management firm.
