The Senate of the US state of Delaware on Tuesday approved two bills aimed at legalizing the possession of cannabis and regulating its sale for adults, and sent them to the governor.
The legalization proposal was approved by 16 votes to 4, while the regulation measure was adopted by 15 votes to 5. The two texts, which passed through the Senate committees before being put to the vote, are sponsored by Democratic Congressman Ed Osienski.
“The legalization of recreational cannabis for adult use is inevitable because it is the will of the people,” said Democratic Sen. Trey Paradee, who is taking the bill through the Senate, ahead of the vote.
“60% of Delawarens think recreational cannabis use should be legalized. This percentage will certainly increase rapidly in the years to come,” he said. “The older generation that was fed the lies and propaganda of Reefer Madness are beginning to understand what the younger generation already knows: Marijuana, by any measure, is far less harmful than alcohol, does not create addictive substances like caffeine and nicotine and does not have the harmful side effects and astronomical health costs and consequences of tobacco and nicotine products.
Congressman Ed Osienski recently said that while the governor is looking to veto the legislation again, as he did in 2022, this time around he’s “optimistic” and thinks “he has the votes.” necessary to overcome”.
The outline of legalization in Delaware
Here is what the 2 cannabis legalization bills in Delaware would accomplish:
- possession, consumption, sharing and purchase of one ounce of cannabis (28 grams) for adults 21 years and older would be permitted
- Public consumption and cultivation of cannabis would remain prohibited
- There Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) State would be tasked with regulating the market through a new Office of the Marijuana Control Commissioner
- In the first 16 months of implementation, regulators could approve up to 30 cannabis retail licenses
- 7% of cannabis revenue would go to a “Justice Reinvestment Fund” that would support restorative justice, workforce development, technical assistance for the economically disadvantaged…
- Legislation does not provide for automatic erasure of criminal records for old cannabis-related offenses
- In addition to traditional retail, cultivation, manufacturing and laboratory licenses, the bill also provides for social equity and micro-enterprise licenses (restricted to applicants whose majority shares are held by residents of the Delaware)
- Localities will be able to ban cannabis companies from operating in their territory
- Cannabis sales for adult use would be subject to a 15% sales tax. Medical cannabis products would not be taxed.
