Delaware Cannabis Bills Head to Governor’s Desk

As of April 14, two cannabis bills have officially been sent to the desk of Delaware Governor John Carney. House Bill 1 legalize small amounts of cannabis for personal use House Bill 2 Establishes regulations for cultivation and sales. Together they make up the Delaware Marijuana Regulation Act.

According to the Delaware Constitution, the governor has 10 days to act on a bill (this does not include Sundays). Or for HB-1 he’s April 22nd and for HB-2 he’s April 26th. Carney either signs the bill, vetoes it, or makes no decision and allows it to pass without his signature.

The arrival of HB-1 and HB-2 at Kearny’s desk is the result of a lot of hard work by legislators and supporters, according to Rep. Ed Osienski, who sponsored the bill. “We have come a long way over the years on marijuana control legislation. We have had countless hearings, debates, stakeholder engagements and deliberations. , to arrive at what I believe is the best plan for legalizing and regulating adult recreational marijuana, I have incorporated many suggestions and changes from stakeholders, including the Governor’s Office, into this process. I took it in.” ossienski said“We hope the governor will consider all of this as he considers these bills and grant the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Delaware residents.”

Carney’s reaction to these bills is uncertain. Most recently, Carney attended a press conference for a campaign to “Make Delaware’s Roads Safer.” March 29thWhile there, Delaware reporter Tim Furlong asked Carney what he would do with the cannabis bill at the end of March. Carney said at the event“Obviously we are primarily concerned about the intended consequences of legalization, including highway safety.”

Carney initially vetoed legislation to legalize cannabis possession. May 2022he said he supports medical marijuana and decriminalization, but not recreational marijuana. , especially for young people,” Carney said last year. is.”

Following the veto, legislators attempted to override the veto in June 2022, but the effort was unsuccessful. But legislators said he will reintroduce recreational cannabis into Congress in January 2023. The House approved the bill on March 7, which he subsequently approved by the Senate on March 28.

In early March, Osienski shared his hope that continued reconsideration of cannabis would eventually lead to signatures from the governor rather than a veto. We hope that by continuing to have an open dialogue, the veto will be eased.” “I’m getting more support from my members…about veto overrides, but I hope that doesn’t happen.”

Delaware shares borders with New Jersey and Maryland, both of which let adult-use cannabis through. According to the statement provided, high times According to Vicente LLP’s Brian Vicente, Delaware will approve legalization next, helping to boost cannabis on the East Coast. “The impending legalization in Delaware is a historic and important step towards establishing the Atlantic Coast as the ground for legal adult-use cannabis regulation,” Vicente said. “For many years, legalization was considered a West Coast phenomenon, but now the East Coast is following suit. While cannabis is still a long way from Florida to Maine legal, Delaware is a marijuana state. It further cements the East Coast as a region that defies ban.”