Recreational marijuana dispensaries are open in Ohio. Can Pennsylvania residents bring legal weed back from Ohio?
SUNNYSIDE, Ohio (KDKA) — There's a new place for people to get their marijuana: Ohio.
On Tuesday, customers lined up at dispensaries across Ohio for the first day of recreational marijuana sales in the state. Nearly 100 medical marijuana dispensaries were authorized to begin selling recreational marijuana to adults.
Can you bring marijuana from Ohio to Pennsylvania?
But what happens if Pennsylvanians try to bring it back to the Keystone State? Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Pennsylvania, and transporting it across state lines could result in federal prosecution.
"I think we're behind the times, right," one man said. "You can go to Maryland, Ohio, New York, everywhere bordering, you can go."
Ohio joined four other states bordering Pennsylvania that allow the sale of recreational marijuana to adults 21 and over.
Just three days into the long-awaited opening of the Sunnyside Recreational and Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Wintersville, Ohio, the line to get in was sometimes wrapped around the building.
Among those in line were residents nearly evenly divided between Ohio and pot-banned states like West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
"We certainly saw a lot of out-of-state driver's licenses when checking people in," said Jason Erkers, communications officer at Sunnyside. "A lot of out-of-state license plates in the parking lot."
While it's legal for Pennsylvanians to cross state lines to buy pot, bringing it back is illegal and could be prosecuted federally and locally.
According to Pittsburgh criminal attorney Patrick Nightingale, if you have 30 grams or less it's a misdemeanor. More than 30 grams is a felony. And if caught driving while under the influence of cannabis, you'll face steep criminal penalties as well.
Attempts in Pennsylvania to legalize marijuana
Governor Josh Shapiro made legalizing marijuana a centerpiece in his budget proposal this year, but lawmakers say it's unlikely to happen this year.
However, the significant revenue could be a big pull for the state to consider changing its policies.