How Did Your Lower Moreland And Montco Representatives Vote On Medical Marijuana?

A bill legalizing medical marijuana was approved Wednesday by the Pennsylvania House in a 149-43 vote.

The bill enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support, however, two lawmakers from Montgomery County were among the dissenting votes.

The legislation was originally co-sponsored in the Pennsylvania Senate by State Sen. Daylin Leach ( (D-Montgomery/Delaware) along with State Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon).

"When the Senate passed Senate Bill 3 last year, national experts agreed that it would be the best medical cannabis protocol in the country," Leach said. "I intend to sit down with Senator Folmer and the advocates to review the House’s changes to our bill while keeping in mind our goal from the beginning of this process: to provide medicine to as many patients as possible, as soon as possible.”

Pennsylvania will be the twenty-third state to approve medical marijuana if Governor Wolf signs the bill, which he has said that he will.

The following representatives voted "yea."

• Madeleine Dean (D), Abington, Upper Dublin
• Mary Jo Daley (D), Ambler, Lower Merion
• Tim Briggs (D), Bridgeport, Lower Merion
• Thomas P. Murt (R), Hatboro, Horsham, Bryn Athyn, Lower Moreland, Upper Moreland
• Stephen McCarter (D), Cheltenham
• Mike Vereb (R), Collegeville
• Marcy Toepel (R), Douglass, Green Lane
• Matthew D. Bradford (D), East Norriton, Norristown, Plymouth
• Thomas J. Quigley (R), Limerick
• Kate Harper (R), Lower Gwynedd, North Wales
• Greg Vitali (D), Lower Merion
• Pamela A. DeLissio (D), Lower Merion
• Tim Hennessey (R), Pottstown
• Stephen McCarter (D), Springfield, Cheltenham, Jenkintown
• Warren Kampf (R), Upper Providence

The following voted "nay."

• Justin J. Simmons (R) of the 131st district, including East Greenville, Pennsburg, and Upper Hanover
• Robert W. Godshall (R) of the 53rd district, including Lansdale, Hatfield, and Franconia

The following did not vote:

Kevin J. Boyle (D)

Opponents of the bill were largely social conservatives concerned with family values and and with the reliability of marijuana’s use as medicine.

“One reason I still oppose medical marijuana,” wrote Sen. Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster) on his Twitter account, “@PAMEDSociety doctors not convinced it won’t do more harm than good.”

Smucker posted to Twitter a link to a letter from the Pennsylvania Medical Society that cites contradictory research, including evidence that seizures in epileptic children worsened after using medical marijuana.

Folmer said that he believed the final version of the bill which the Senate passed reflected such concerns.

“I believe in its present form Senate Bill 3 represents a balance between the advocates who want greater access to medical cannabis and those who continue to have concerns,” Folmer said in a press release. Hopefully we have established a solid foundation for consideration and deliberation in the House.”

Governor Wolf has said that he will sign the legislation.