Marijuana Legalization Bill Clears House Panel in Delaware

January 28, 2022
AggregatedNews
Delaware
0 Comments

A Democrat-led House committee voted mostly along party lines Wednesday to release a bill legalizing recreational marijuana use by adults in Delaware.

A lone Republican joined Democrats on the Health and Human Development committee in voting to release the bill, which will now likely head to an appropriations committee for consideration.

The bill creates a state-controlled and licensed pot industry that supporters say will eliminate the black market while creating jobs and boosting the state’s tax coffers. The measure is the third iteration of legislation that was first introduced in 2019 but which has never received a floor vote.

The bill legalizes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and older, but it prohibits people from growing their own pot. The state would instead oversee a manufacturing and distribution industry and levy a 15% tax on retail sales.

Chief sponsor Rep. Ed Osienski, a Newark Democrat, said the bill “will create good-paying jobs for Delawareans while striking a blow against the criminal element which profits from the thriving illegal market in our state.”

Opponents argue that legalization will lead to increased marijuana use among teens and young adults, expose business owners to liability, and result in more traffic deaths and injuries. They also say it will do little to eliminate illegal sales. [Read more at U.S. News & World Report]