Delaware: Governor Has Days to Decide the Fate of Adult-Use Legalization Bills

Democratic Gov. John Carney could decide the fate of a pair of adult-use legalization bills this week.

The Governor has until Saturday, April 22, to take action of House Bill 1, which removes criminal and civil penalties for the possession of personal use quantities of cannabis flower and other products, including marijuana paraphernalia, for those age 21 or older. (The use of cannabis in public remains penalized under the measure, and underage possession of cannabis remains subject to civil fines.)

He has until Wednesday, April 26, to take action on House Bill 2, complimentary legislation that licenses and regulates marijuana production and retail sales. It calls for the issuance of up to 30 initial retail marijuana licenses, 30 manufacturing licenses, 60 cultivation licenses, and five testing licenses.

Both measures passed with super-majority support from lawmakers, including the support of almost all of the Democrats in the chamber.

The Governor can either sign or veto the bills by the deadlines. If he takes no action, the bills become law absent the governor’s signature.

Delaware residents can call use this constituent call-to-action script to call the Governor’s office and urge him to sign HB 1 and HB 2.

Last year, Gov. Carney vetoed legislation similar to HB 1, stating, “I do not believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware.” Most recently, a spokesperson for the Governor told the website Marijuana Moment that he “continues to have strong concerns about the unintended consequences of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in our state, especially about the impacts on our young people and highway safety.”

Additional information is available from the Facebook page of Delaware NORML.