The First State has become the 22nd state to legalize marijuana for adults.
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Late Friday, Democrat Gov. John Carney announced that he would allow a pair of bills – HB 1 and HB 2 – to become law absent his signature.
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House Bill 1 eliminates 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. (Personal use under the law is defined as one ounce or less of cannabis flower, 12 grams or less of cannabis concentrate, or cannabis edible products containing 750 milligrams or less of THC.)
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House Bill 2 establishes a licensing system to regulate 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.
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House Bill 1 became law on Sunday. House Bill 2 takes effect later this week.
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The pathway to legalization in Delaware was a long and arduous one. For years, local and national activists mounted grassroots efforts to secure majority support among lawmakers. But it took until 2022 for lawmakers to finally advance a legalization bill to the Governor’s desk. Disappointingly, Governor Carney vetoed that legislation.
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This year, advocates returned stronger than ever. Both HB 1 and HB 2 passed with a veto-proof supermajority support among lawmakers – giving Gov. Carney little choice but to finally accept the will of the people.
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“After years of advocacy, collaboration, and grassroots organizing, we are thrilled to see cannabis legalization become a reality in our state,” said Delaware NORML Executive Director Laura Sharer. “This victory is a result of the tireless work of thousands of volunteers, dozens of lawmakers, and with the support of a huge majority of our Delaware community. So many have championed this righteous cause and recognized the need for sensible cannabis policy reform.”
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NORML thanks our local activists, who never gave up this important fight, as well as the thousands of you who contacted state officials and the Governor. Without this sustained and passionate grassroots push, legalization in Delaware would not be reality today.
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NORML’s dedicated team strives to represent you – the cannabis consumer. We lobby on behalf of your interests, not the interests of corporate cannabis entities. As a result, we are reliant upon you – our grassroots supporters – to help fund our advocacy, public outreach, and educational efforts.
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Please give today so that we can continue sowing the seeds of cannabis freedom across the US. Later this week, lawmakers in Minnesota will be voting on adult-use legalization legislation. Help ensure that NORML has the resources to win this next battle – and the ones after that.
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Together, we will legalize America.
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