Website launched for Delaware Cannabis Policy Coalition
Last update: July 28, 2016
A group of organizations, including MPP, have launched the Delaware Cannabis Policy Coalition (DCPC) to urge Delaware lawmakers to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Please check out our new website.
Currently, four states have taken this step and as many as five more may follow suit this November on Election Day. Many Delawareans want to see their state added to this list. However, Delaware, unlike every other state that has taken this step so far, does not have a ballot initiative process open to its voters. Therefore, passing a bill through the General Assembly is the only way to replace Delaware’s policy of prohibition with responsible regulation.
The DCPC meets monthly at the public library in Bear, DE. If you are a member of an organization that would like to join our coalition, we would love to hear from you. We are in the process of growing our network of supporters.
If you are a Delawarean, please let your legislators know you want to see your state end adult use cannabis prohibition and allow responsible adults to make their own choices. The state should take marijuana out of the hands of criminals and impose sensible regulations while generating millions of dollars in tax revenue and creating hundreds of legitimate jobs. If you are a member or former member of law enforcement, active or retired military personnel, member of the clergy, economist, medical professional, business leader, or a victim of marijuana prohibition, and you support ending marijuana prohibition, please get in touch with us to see how you can be of special help.
Delaware decriminalization law in effect
On December 18, 2015, Delaware became the 19th state to implement a decriminalization or legalization law. Six months earlier, Gov. Jack Markell signed HB 39, making possession of personal use amounts of marijuana a civil violation.
Introduced by Rep. Helene Keeley, HB 39 makes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults a civil violation punishable by a $100 fine with no possibility of jail. Possession of up to an ounce of marijuana was previously a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $575 fine and up to three months in jail. Please see our summary of HB 39 for further details.
This important step in marijuana policy reform would not have been possible without a lot of hard work. Many thanks to each of you who raised your voices or made a donation to help stop the cruel criminalization of marijuana consumers. A special thank you to Rep. Helene Keeley and to Gov. Jack Markell for his leadership.
Medical marijuana compassion center open; two more coming soon
Almost four years after the state’s medical marijuana act was signed into law, Delaware’s first compassion center opened in June 2015! First State Compassion opened to qualified patients on June 26, 2015. The Department of Health is expected to register two more compassion centers by August 2016.
The Department of Health continues to accept applications for medical marijuana ID cards, which will be required for patients seeking to obtain their medicine from a compassion center. If you are interested in obtaining your medical marijuana ID card, please visit the medical marijuana program’s website or call them at (302) 744-4749 to receive application forms. If you have further questions about the medical marijuana program, please see our summary of the law.
MPP’s Noah Mamber and Karen O’Keefe in Dover with Sen. Margaret Rose Henry and several of the state’s most committed patients to watch Gov. Markell sign SB 17.
Stay connected
Thank you for supporting MPP. To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Delaware, be sure to subscribe to MPP’s free legislative alert service.
