Canned cocktail sales ‘a responsible step,’ Shapiro says; legalizing weed ‘makes sense’ too

Gov. Josh Shapiro holds a package of canned cocktails at a Rutter's convenience store Tuesday in Perry County, where he celebrated the start of pre-mixed cocktail sales in supermarkets, gas stations, and beer distributors. (Commonwealth Media Services photo)

After celebrating a new law making canned cocktails available in supermarkets and convenience stores, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday he believes that legalizing recreational use of cannabis makes sense from an economic perspective.

Among Pennsylvania’s six border states, all but West Virginia have fully legalized marijuana, allowing its sale and use for medical and recreational use. Pennsylvania has legalized cannabis for medical use, but continues to impose criminal penalties for possession of pot without a medical marijuana card.

Shapiro told reporters at a press conference at a Rutter’s convenience store in Perry County where canned cocktails will now be sold that he has called for legalization of cannabis for several years. Shapiro included revenue from recreational marijuana sales in his 2024-2025 budget proposal and said legalizing weed, like expanding the availability of alcoholic beverages, gives Pennsylvania residents more freedom.

“There are Pennsylvanians who may be traveling out of state to purchase cannabis, and that’s, I think, something that we want to be focused on doing here in our commonwealth,” Shapiro said.

Reps. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) and Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) introduced new legislation Monday to legalize cannabis. Multiple cannabis legalization bills have been introduced across both chambers this session, of which House Bill 2500 is only the latest. None have been taken up by either the House or Senate yet, but advocates say legalization is a matter of how and when .

Shapiro signed into law Act 86 of 2024 in July, which creates the opportunity for restaurant, hotel, and distributors liquor license holders to obtain permits to sell pre-mixed beverages containing distilled spirits to patrons for consumption off premises.

The law is the latest expansion of alcoholic beverage sales over the last two decades in Pennsylvania, where alcohol sales on Sundays were limited and wine and spirits by the bottle could be purchased only from Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) stores until relatively recently.

Pennsylvania’s restrictions on alcohol remain relatively strict compared with many other states. Supermarkets and convenience stores were permitted to sell up to 192 ounces of beer to go in 2011 and the equivalent of four bottles of wine in 2014, but the PLCB stores remain the only place to buy spirits by the bottle.

The ability to sell pre-mixed liquor-based beverages in supermarkets, beer distributors, and convenience stores is popular, according to the governor’s office.

Since Aug. 27, the PLCB had received 1,595 ready-to-drink cocktail applications and issued 1,416 permits, Shapiro’s office said in a news release.

Asked whether Pennsylvania should do more to privatize liquor sales, Shapiro said he believes ready-to-drink cocktails in private stores is a responsible step that protects jobs, creates $130 million in new revenue and gives residents more freedom.

Act 86 was introduced in the state Senate by Sen. Mike Regan (R-York). It passed with Democratic opposition in the Senate but received bipartisan support in the state House when it was finally approved in July.