What States Could See Marijuana Legalized In 2017?
Voters in eight states passed marijuana legalization laws following the 2016 presidential election, giving the legalization movement the required momentum for more states across the country to carry out discussions on the decriminalization of cannabis in 2017.
Here are seven states to watch that are gearing up to legalize cannabis in 2017:
Delaware
The recreational legalization of cannabis is expected to be discussed by the state’s officials in early 2017. Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, during a Medical Marijuana Act Oversight Committee meeting in October 2016, said: “It’s time to certainly look at it.”
The state lawmaker has pledged to introduce a bill legalizing the adult use of cannabis, and a recent University of Delaware poll shows that 61 percent of residents surveyed support legalization, according to recent reports from the Delaware State News and The Wilmington News Journal.
The senator is responsible for drafting the state’s medical cannabis bill and Delaware’s Democratic Governor-elect John Carney also supports the decriminalization of marijuana in his state.
Delaware decriminalized cannabis last year, which means those caught with small amounts of the drug are slapped with a civil fine instead of a criminal offense. The Legislature also has eased some penalties for drug possession.