“We’re here, We’re fighting for a de-crim.”

Kristal Bush, founder of Free My Weedman, was one of several activists in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania at the capitol today.

She was part of a group that planned a silent protest during the budget hearing for state police.

“Here in Pennsylvania we’re still arresting 35 people every single day just for marijuana possession," said Chris Goldstein, regional director of National Organization of the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Around 12,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in Pennsylvania in 2022.

Most of these arrests are made by state police, as over 30 Pennsylvania cities have ordinances that decriminalize- or reduce penalties- for marijuana possession.

Activists say decriminalizing can come before a state tackles how to regulate sales for full legalization.

“We did this in New Jersey," said Goldstein. "The New Jersey attorney general three years before marijuana was legalized stopped prosecutions of arrests, so we’d like that to happen here.”

All states bordering Pennsylvania- except for West Virginia- have legalized recreational use.

Legalizing recreational marijuana was one policy topic where Pennsylvania lawmakers said they might find some common ground. Two months later, though, some are not optimistic.

Rep. Seth Grove (R-196), the minority chair for the House Budget Committee, doubts any major reform will come this year.

“The entire budget we have zero answers. There’s no legislation, nobodies been able to answer any questions," said Grove. "We have Department of Ag who’s supposed to be regulating this, they have no idea. Because they don’t have any language to see to answer questions on it.”

Activists shared how waiting for Cannabis reform leaves medical users subject to legal grey areas, like Bush who’s house was raided as she explored doing business in the medical cannabis industry.

“My case was thrown out. Its still that fear. Its that psychological effects that even after the fact, we’re still fearful," said Bush.