Pennsylvania will likely become the 25th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2027 after Democrats say they flipped four seats in the Senate – and lost one – to take control of a government trifecta that’s keen on reform.
While the commonwealth’s Nov. 3 election results aren’t official as of Wednesday morning, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro took a victory lap on social media, claiming that his party will take control of the upper chamber for the first time since 1993.
“TRIFECTA DELIVERED,” he wrote on X shortly after midnight. “Pennsylvanians just came together to flip the State Senate for the first time in over THREE DECADES – delivering a Democratic trifecta that’s ready to raise the minimum wage, codify reproductive freedom, invest in mass transit, and so much more. I’m so proud to have supported Chris Thomas, Eileen Hartnett Albillar, Mark Pinsley, and Brian Wrightson from Day One in their campaigns. Now, the real work begins – and we’re ready to get shit done.”
The governor is predicting that Democrats take a 26-24 majority in the Senate, although three key races had yet to be officially called as of Wednesday morning, including three of the four flipped seats he listed in his post:
- District 6: Eileen Hartnett Albillar (D) leads Frank Farry (R), 51.1% to 48.9%
- District 16: Mark Pinsley (D) leads Jarrett Coleman (R), 51.1% to 48.9%
- District 40: Brian Wrightson (D) leads Rosemary Brown (R), 51.4% to 48.6%
In the other race that Shapiro mentioned, Democrat Chris Thomas defeated Republican incumbent Tracy Pennycuick by a 10-point margin in the 24th senatorial district, according to unofficial election results provided by the state.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Democrats retained control of the House, where they are projected to gain at least five seats and hold at least a 108-95 majority, with some races having yet to be called.
While Pennsylvania legalized medical cannabis in 2016 and now has a robust $1.8 billion annual retail market, the commonwealth’s divided government has clashed over adult-use legalization proposals in recent years: Shapiro has made repeated legalization calls in his state budget proposals, and House Democrats passed a legalization bill in May 2025, but Senate Republicans have neglected to take up their own party’s reform proposal.
Although the commonwealth does not provide for citizen-initiated ballot measures, 69% of Pennsylvania voters support regulating and taxing cannabis for adults 21 and older, including 67% of Republicans, according to a March 2026 survey conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research and commissioned by the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (PCC), a trade organization that lobbies on behalf of the state’s licensed medical operators.
“With Democrats now controlling both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s office, they must heed the call of Pennsylvanians who, poll after poll, have made clear they want legal, regulated adult-use cannabis,” PCC Executive Director Meredith Buettner Schneider said. “It’s well past time for legislative leaders and the governor to come to an agreement on a market structure that creates opportunities for small businesses, provides meaningful pathways for social equity applicants to participate, builds on Pennsylvania’s existing cannabis industry, and brings back the jobs and revenue that we’re losing to neighboring states that have already legalized. With unified control of state government, there is no reason to delay legalization any longer.”
ResponsiblePA, a coalition that advocates for adult-use legalization in the commonwealth, also took the election results as an opportunity to push cannabis policy reform to the forefront.
“With the new Democratic majority in the Senate, voters just handed Harrisburg permission to legalize. There’s no excuse left – 2027 is the year Pennsylvania gets this done," ResponsiblePA spokesperson Monica McCafferty said. “Pennsylvanians are already buying cannabis – they’re just crossing state borders or rolling the dice on unregulated products at gas stations. Legalization ends that gamble by delivering tested products and significant tax revenue to our state.”
