Medical Marijuana… Remember that?
It was over two years ago that Delaware became of the growing number of states that allow medical marijuana. Senator Margaret Rose Henry’s SB 17 passed the Senate 18-3 (and then inexplicably 17-4 the second time after the House amended it) and the House 27-14, and Governor Markell signed the bill a few days later, which is his custom if he really likes a bill. But then came the Federal roadblock, as Eric Holder’s Justice Department threatened state officials with prosecution.
Since I preemptively attacked the Governor this morning for a rumored but not yet taken action, it seems only fair to applaud the Governor to finally sticking up his middle finger to Attorney General Holder and President Obama for their illogical, unprogressive and hypocritical opposition to medical marijuana. The breaking news:
After a months-long delay, Gov. Jack Markell is moving forward with implementation of Delaware’s medical marijuana program despite threats from the U.S. Department of Justice that state officials could be subject to prosecution.
The move comes after other states, including New Jersey and Rhode Island, have issued licenses for marijuana distribution centers.
Markell told lawmakers in a letter today that the state will issue a request for proposal to open a marijuana cultivation and distribution center, or “compassion center,” in Delaware next year. The law that Markell signed in 2011 legalizing medical marijuana in Delaware called for compassion centers in each county.
“The sensible and humane aim of state policy in Delaware remains to ensure that medical marijuana is accessible via a safe, well-regulated channel of distribution to patients with demonstrated medical need,” Markell said in the letter, which was addressed to Sen. Margaret Rose Henry and Rep. Helene Keeley, both Wilmington Democrats.
The change will allow medical marijuana patients in Delaware, some already registered by the state to use the drug without having a legal place to obtain it, to buy the drug in a state-regulated center.
Governor Markell is moving forward after having addressed the Justice Department’s alleged concerns about security, but, personally, I think Markell is sensing a softening in Holder’s stance after Holder’s recent speech and policy changes regarding mandatory minimums in drug sentences. Regardless, kudos to the Governor for taking this step.
Tags: Featured
heh, will the morning papers have comment from Charles Oberly?
All snark aside, this is a great thing. Was it the seeming universal acceptance of Dr. Gupta’s embrace of weed last week that swayed the guv?
http://www.businessinsider.com/sanjay-gupta-changed-his-mind-on-weed-2013-8
Gupta’s expose of the horrid-bad science behind the nay-sayers was something to behold. Turns out we spend precious few research dollars on the benefits of medicinal pot.
Markell should do the right thing and completely legalize the possession and use of marijuana.
We’re ruining people’s lives over a stupid weed that requires no additives or processing. Legalize it, let people grow their own, and tax it if you buy it in a store. Set the legal age at 21 and let liquor stores sell it.
Use part of the tax money for an incentive for Frito Lay to open a manufacturing facility in the old GM plant on Boxwood Road. They can make the new Pepsi flavored Cheetos here. Hell, it might generate enough tax revenue to bail out Fisker.
Ta Da, I just solved several of Delaware’s problems at once.
Delaware is a cesspool of bad policies.
Anon, H/t. That was hilariously witty…. and I agree with you completely.
One can only wonder if Liberals Are Idiots would ne saying the same thimg If his/her mother was suddenly stricken with cancer and after undergoing chemo, wouldn’t eat and was wasting away. The doctor comes in after weeks of trying different medications to induce appetite, and suggests medical marijuana might be her only chance. LAI, being a purist, says hell no, let her waste away rather than succumb to this cesspool of bad policies.
Then his mother reaches over with all her remaining strength and smacks the taste out of her kid’s mouth and tells the doctor to fix her a bowl.
Behind one of the first doors I knocked on during the 2012 campaign was a woman who was dying of cancer, and wanted to be able to use marijuana rather than morphine for the pain, so that she could taste her meals, in her last years of life, without breaking the law. What can you say to this?
While I applaud the move heartily, I have to wonder regarding the timing the same sort of thing El Som discussed back at the beginning of the legislative session, which is this administration using social policy reform to keep everybody away from substantive economic, budget, and transparency issues.
That said, it’s also time for somebody in the GA to push forward with decriminalization or legalization, knowing–as with marriage equality and death penalty repeal–it is going to require several sessions to pass it.
Steve, some good news on job-front:
http://delawarebusinessdaily.com/2013/08/states-jobless-figure-matches-national-rate-of-7-4/
The state, for now, has lost its long-running distinction of having a jobless rate well below the national rate. At the same time, other statistics show improvements in the labor market that are at or above the rate for the nation.
Representative Baumbach – as one of my favorite members of the Delaware General Assembly – and clearly an outside of the box thinker – do you think the DGA and the Governor would ever consider the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana?
Also – it would be just as easy to take the tax revenue generated from marijuana sales and apply it to an incentive for Frito-Lay to open a manufacturing facility at the old Chrysler site. If I recall correctly, Frito-Lay did have a presence off of Rt. 72 at one point, in the Red Lion area, it was a distribution center.
Just thinking about this topic makes me want to travel to Main Street to get some Margarita’s Pizza and hit the State Theater for a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Well, at least one of those two things is still possible in Newark.
One and a half of those items are still possible in Newark–get some Margherita’s Pizza, and then head to Newark Cinema Center 3 (http://cinemacenter3.com/) for the Saturday midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (for extra kicks, go to the Hallowe’en Saturday midnight showing).
By the way, both establishments are within the 23rd RD, clearly the best RD in the state, but perhaps I am biased!
I expect that at least decriminalization of marijuana is in the future of Delaware–just don’t ask me when.
The cowardice of Delaware on this subject is a curious thing. No elected officials have been rounded up in CA, WA, CO, ME, DC or in Philadelphia which lowered possession of small quantities to a minor offense.
The only possible explanation in my mind is some desire not to have Beau Biden put in the middle of this thing, as he presides over the return to Delaware and explosive proliferation of “massage parlors” which are not-very-well-camoflauged fronts for other activities, and which cause no end of problems for legitimate massage therapists and businesses. It was not too long ago we had gotten rid of the rub-and-tug joints which shuttle Asian women around the country to “work off” their “transport expenses” and from which they never escape, and it is amazing that there has been zero comment on their renewed presence in Delaware.
What the Heck-Decriminalize All Drugs, not just Marijuana as they do in most Industrialized Countries.