The Delaware House Health and Human Development Committee approved a recreational cannabis bill at the end of March. HB 150 would legalize recreational cannabis for people 21 and over. However nothing had been heard since. That is, until the House Appropriations Committee approved HB 150 on June 4th. This now means the legalization bill moves to a full chamber vote. The vote will take place on June 10th. The regular session for Delaware comes to an end on June 30th.
HB 150 must receive a super majority to pass and move on to the Senate. The Senate must then approve HB 150 and send it to the governor. However, Governor John Carney is one of the few Democratic governors who opposes recreational cannabis legalization. He joins Hawaii Governor David Ige and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
HB 150
The recreational legalization bill in Delaware would offer citizens 21 and over access to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis at one time. A 15 percent sales tax applied to all sales. Initial revenue would cover the administrative costs of the program. Any additional revenue would be voted and approved by lawmakers. The Delaware Marijuana Control Act Oversight Committee would regulate the market and issue businesses licenses for the state. However, home cultivation remains illegal under this bill.
“We applaud members of the House Appropriations Committee for clearing HB 150 for a vote by the full House of Representatives,” a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) reported. “A strong majority of Delawareans support legalization, and we hope that the House of Representatives will listen to their constituents and approve HB 150 later this week.”
Possible Changes
Activists are not endorsing, and are asking for the removal of a number of amendments lawmakers have proposed and added. In fact, one amendment proposed removing the language to allow anyone with a previous cannabis-related conviction from the social equity definition. This means they would not qualify for social equity measures and could be denied a license if they apply.
The second amendment, proposed by Representative Jeffrey Spiegelman (R), would remove the creation of a financial aid program for social equity businesses. As a result low interest loans and grants to help small businesses open and thrive in local communities won’t be available.
“This amendment would gut the critical social equity components of HB 150. Cannabis prohibition has caused tremendous harm—disproportionately in communities of color,” the MPP continued. “To ensure cannabis is legalized equitably in Delaware and is focused on the communities most impacted by the war on cannabis, HA 3 must be rejected.”
Future
For HB 150 to pass, it must receive a super majority vote of 25 House members. In fact, the same goes for the Senate. A previous version of HB 150 received support from the Delaware House in 2018. But it failed to receive a super majority vote. However, lawmakers say that they feel positive about the future of HB 150. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.
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