Is it way too early for DE pot enthusiasts to get psyched?
I’m seriously asking. Some friends who follow marijuana policy more closely than they follow politics at large are rather excited by this development:
Delaware took a major step Thursday toward becoming the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana use.
State legislators unveiled a bill that would allow state residents 21 and older to purchase up to an ounce of cannabis from dozens of stores that would be authorized to sell marijuana manufactured at a number of Delaware grow operations.
“House Bill 110 creates an entirely new industry in our state,” said Rep. Helene Keeley, D-South Wilmington. “As the only state in a seven-hour drive to have legalized marijuana, we would become a destination that would attract out-of-state sales, which would have a benefit to our Delaware businesses.”
It sounds sweet on its face, right? $22 million in Revenue… end the racist “war on drugs” , etc… but between John “I never met an issue I couldn’t coffee klatch to death” Carney, Jeff Sessions, the Police Chiefs, and the prison industrial complex, I wonder if the high fives are seriously premature.
Carney has openly said he doesn’t support this right now. I don’t see it going anywhere. I did see Bonini was cosponsoring it though, which gives it some bipartisian support, but the conservatives downstate and their supporters are still fighting reefer madness.
Even if it eventually limps its way to Carney’s desk, it will be more oregano than weed.
I think if it passes the house and senate, Carney will sign because it will have had to get 3/5s support. I think it’ll pass the house, maybe with a few Republican votes like Rammone. But it’ll stall in the senate. You start vote counting there (you need 13) and it doesnt look good. You got 4 yes in Townsend, Henry, Sokola, and Bonini. 4 leans in McDowell, Marshall, walsh, and McBride 5 maybes in Hansen, Ennis, Bushweller, Poore, and Cloutier. You need all your leans and maybes to jump on board to pass it.
Ennis will be a no.
AAA Midatlantic making a big push on impaired driving issue with this one.
Gives Carney a chance to study the issue to death.
Given the inherent greed and love of a racket shown by Delaware politicians in the past it amazes me they have yet to latch onto this cash cow we call legalization, dreams of revenue dancing in their tiny minds. On the other hand I’m looking forward to hounding Ennis unto the grave, just for fun of course.
Carney is a moderate- conservative Dem. I doubt he’ll sign it into law. He won’t receive damming backlash from Dems if he opposes it and it will be a mark in his favor with pragmatic BCC Repubs. He’s got little to lose by opposing it. Pity.
The feds will not allow cross-border sales, so forgive me if I label that a pipe dream. Maybe it’s more of a bong dream.
I live in Delaware, don’t use marijuana & even I can see that passing HB 110 is the fiscally responsible thing for legislators to do & for Governor Carney to sign & pass into law. HB 110 being passed into law will benefit all Delawareans, even those of us that don’t use marijuana. I hope Governor Carney & all of the state of Delaware legislators finally open their eyes to our states growing budget deficit and realize that HB 110 being passed into law may be the only viable option left to get out of the red.
I said it before and I’ll say it again: Legalizing marijuana is NOT a “fiscally responsible” budget plan. It is not a reliable source of income for the state. I’m reminded of the casinos, which brought in a lot of money until all our neighbors decided they wanted casinos too. Now Delaware Park keeps asking for tax cuts so it can stay afloat.
Legalizing marijuana is the right thing to do for a variety of other reasons, but plugging the budget deficit is not one of them.
You may be correct in the long term concerning Delaware HB 110 being passed into law. However,it will at least give Delawareans more job opportunities and an additional source of tax revenues (something Delaware desperately needs).
Neighboring states like Maryland, Pennsylvania & New Jersey will take several years
before passing legal recreational marijuana laws which gives Delaware a head start at least.
I believe MD and NJ have both been toying with legalization for a while now. I doubt it would take them “several years” to pass laws, especially after seeing Delaware do it. Not sure about PA.
Again, we had a head start with casinos. For many years, Delaware and Atlantic City were the only places on the east coast where you could play slots. Then PA and MD started opening casinos, and suddenly casino tax revenue plummeted. I don’t want our legislators to become reliant on another revenue stream that can be destroyed by an act of the Maryland legislature.
Regardless of whether MD or NJ pass similar recreational marijuana laws or not it would still create jobs in Delaware and give the state an additional source of tax revenue. I believe that the majority of recreational marijuana sales would come from residents of Delaware any way and surely if MD &/or NJ pass similar laws as you stated.
I don’t argue your point concerning casinos, but I believe recreational marijuana
sales would be much higher (lol), and would not suffer the ups and downs like the over saturated casino market does.
Don’t forget, the casinos are in every state and also must now compete with on line gambling casinos. Recreational marijuana wouldn’t have to compete w/ online internet users like the casinos do.
For now? No, they wouldn’t have to compete with the Internet. If ever federal laws on marijuana are relaxed (and that is the ultimate goal, right?), there will be 500 companies selling pot on Amazon the very next day.
I’ve said repeatedly that I’m worried about our legislators passing HB110, saying “lol fixed the budget”, and then looking quizzically at the giant deficit that shows up a year after Maryland legalizes it and the pot tourist market dies back. **I’d like the revenue hole to be fixed without relying on pot tourism.** That means other sources of revenue, like income taxes, should be tapped first.
Marijuana is similar to alcohol and tobacco so even if it is eventually Federally legalized it will be strictly regulated similar to alcohol and tobacco. I doubt it will ever be for sale online in the U.S..