Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The debate over legalizing marijuana in Delaware is about to begin anew, just weeks after legislators declined to consider the issue.
A 25-member task force charged with studying how Delaware might regulate and tax legal weed will hold its first meeting today at 10 a.m. in Dover's Legislative Hall.
The panel of advocates, opponents and public officials is slated to present its findings to Gov. John Carney and the General Assembly before Jan. 31.
The final report could bolster recent efforts to make Delaware the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana use or sink them entirely.
State Rep. Helene Keeley, D-South Wilmington, and state Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington, introduced a bill in March that would allow people 21 and older to purchase up to an ounce of cannabis from dozens of stores authorized to sell marijuana manufactured at a number of Delaware grow operations.
House Bill 110, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, was voted out of committee in May. But the measure was never called up for a vote before the full state House of Representatives.
That did not stop advocates from showing up in force at a series of town hall-style meetings organized by Gov. John Carney to discuss ways the state could close what was then a nearly $400 million deficit. They argue the bill would eventually add at least $22 million a year to the state's coffers.
Carney held separate public roundtable discussions with advocates and opponents this year.
But he also has voiced his opposition to full legalization at this time, saying Delaware should study the impact in other states before taking action. The governor said more time also is needed to fully implement a 2011 medical marijuana law and a 2015 bill that decriminalized possession of up to an ounce of the drug.
Keeley and Henry ultimately had to settle for a resolution that created the Adult Use Cannabis Task Force, a body charged with examining how marijuana legalization could be implemented in Delaware. House Bill 110, meanwhile, will be on legislators' agenda when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
Advocates say they hope the task force's report will help strengthen the bill and help it win passage next year.
"The goal is to give a lot of groups an opportunity to be in on crafting a workable system before something gets passed," said Cynthia Ferguson, a task force member and executive director of the Delaware branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Opponents say they hope to use the task force's meetings to highlight the unexpected consequences experienced by other states that have legalized marijuana — including hat they say have been spikes in drugged driving and increases in illegal drug sales. Nearly a dozen influential organizations have been working to convince legislators to oppose the measure.
Led by AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Keep Delaware Safe and Healthy Coalition includes associations representing law enforcement, major employers, hospitals, doctors, nurses and anti-addiction advocates — all opposed to HB 110.
"No model exists that is ideal," said Cathy Rossi, AAA's vice president for public and government affairs and a member of the task force.
"It is our position that more information and education is needed," she said. "We need more data to inform what, as public policy, we're really considering here."
All eight states that previously legalized marijuana did so through a voter referendum, something the Delaware Constitution does not allow. Last spring, Vermont became the first state to approve a recreational marijuana bill, a measure later vetoed by that state's Republican governor.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Debate continues over legal marijuana in Delaware
Author: Scott Goss
Contact: Contact Us | Delaware Online
Photo Credit: Jason Minto
Website: The News Journal | Delawareonline.com | Delaware news
A 25-member task force charged with studying how Delaware might regulate and tax legal weed will hold its first meeting today at 10 a.m. in Dover's Legislative Hall.
The panel of advocates, opponents and public officials is slated to present its findings to Gov. John Carney and the General Assembly before Jan. 31.
The final report could bolster recent efforts to make Delaware the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana use or sink them entirely.
State Rep. Helene Keeley, D-South Wilmington, and state Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington, introduced a bill in March that would allow people 21 and older to purchase up to an ounce of cannabis from dozens of stores authorized to sell marijuana manufactured at a number of Delaware grow operations.
House Bill 110, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, was voted out of committee in May. But the measure was never called up for a vote before the full state House of Representatives.
That did not stop advocates from showing up in force at a series of town hall-style meetings organized by Gov. John Carney to discuss ways the state could close what was then a nearly $400 million deficit. They argue the bill would eventually add at least $22 million a year to the state's coffers.
Carney held separate public roundtable discussions with advocates and opponents this year.
But he also has voiced his opposition to full legalization at this time, saying Delaware should study the impact in other states before taking action. The governor said more time also is needed to fully implement a 2011 medical marijuana law and a 2015 bill that decriminalized possession of up to an ounce of the drug.
Keeley and Henry ultimately had to settle for a resolution that created the Adult Use Cannabis Task Force, a body charged with examining how marijuana legalization could be implemented in Delaware. House Bill 110, meanwhile, will be on legislators' agenda when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
Advocates say they hope the task force's report will help strengthen the bill and help it win passage next year.
"The goal is to give a lot of groups an opportunity to be in on crafting a workable system before something gets passed," said Cynthia Ferguson, a task force member and executive director of the Delaware branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Opponents say they hope to use the task force's meetings to highlight the unexpected consequences experienced by other states that have legalized marijuana — including hat they say have been spikes in drugged driving and increases in illegal drug sales. Nearly a dozen influential organizations have been working to convince legislators to oppose the measure.
Led by AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Keep Delaware Safe and Healthy Coalition includes associations representing law enforcement, major employers, hospitals, doctors, nurses and anti-addiction advocates — all opposed to HB 110.
"No model exists that is ideal," said Cathy Rossi, AAA's vice president for public and government affairs and a member of the task force.
"It is our position that more information and education is needed," she said. "We need more data to inform what, as public policy, we're really considering here."
All eight states that previously legalized marijuana did so through a voter referendum, something the Delaware Constitution does not allow. Last spring, Vermont became the first state to approve a recreational marijuana bill, a measure later vetoed by that state's Republican governor.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Debate continues over legal marijuana in Delaware
Author: Scott Goss
Contact: Contact Us | Delaware Online
Photo Credit: Jason Minto
Website: The News Journal | Delawareonline.com | Delaware news
