Republican Members Vote Against Marijuana Bill, Barger Says

5/7/2025

HARRISBURG – Rep. Scott Barger (R-Blair/Huntingdon) today joined his House Republican colleagues in voting against legislation that would legalize adult-use recreational marijuana.

“We were given three days to review a 173-page bill on a serious topic that would cause significant changes in our state,” Barger said. “This far-reaching bill was flawed from the very beginning. It would grow the existing Liquor Control Board into an unmanageable bureaucracy, expunge records for a drug still illegal at the federal level, divert money to Philadelphia and run into constitutional challenges.”

House Bill 1200 was written to empower the Liquor Control Board to regulate and sell recreational marijuana to adults at state-run stores similar to those that sell alcohol.

“This is a slippery slope that I fear would result in more minors experimenting with a dangerous drug and developing dependency,” Barger said.

The bill, which passed the House on a 102-101 vote, now goes to the Senate for its consideration.



Representative Scott Barger
80th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives