Is marijuana legal in Delaware? What you need to know about the state’s efforts

This year, Delaware advocates and lawmakers came the closest they ever have to legalizing recreational marijuana in the state.

But Gov. John Carney’s refusal to support recreational marijuana ultimately crushed the dream of legalization, landing the bill amongst the countless other failed attempts over the past several years.

Here’s what happened.

This year’s first effort for legalization came in March.

Rep. Ed Osienski of Newark introduced a sweeping bill to legalize recreational marijuana and regulate the subsequent industry. However, the bill did not capture enough votes, with a few Democrats either not voting or voting no, and zero support from the Republicans.

However, Osienski did not let that stop him. In April, he introduced new legislation, essentially splitting the previous bill into two: one bill that legalizes the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana for people over 21 and another that regulates the recreational marijuana industry. Essentially, the idea was that splitting the bill into two would allow a greater chance of passage by the General Assembly, while also keeping all the ideas of the original bill intact.

Momentum grew for legalization of recreational marijuana in Legislative Hall in the subsequent weeks. The general assembly passed the legalization bill. However, a veto of the bill from Gov. John Carney, a vocal opponent of legalization efforts, remained a possibility as advocates celebrated this first win.

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