Only Carney Stands In The Way Of Legalized Marijuana Now

Filed in Delaware, Featured by on March 28, 2023

In an historic session, the State Senate passed both HB 1 and HB 2 this afternoon.  Since neither bill was amended in the Senate, they both now await action from the Governor.  The Senate votes were overwhelming, and legislators I’ve talked to believe there’s a veto-proof majority in the House.  I simply cannot overstate the tremendous effort that went into what happened today, from grassroots advocates up and down the state, to some exacting and needle-threading work by legislators and staff.

Smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em.

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  1. Andrew C says:

    C’mon Carney, you know you want to roll up a fatty with the homeboys tonight! Be the hero that we all thought you could never be.

  2. Andrew C says:

    Notable comment from Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long: https://www.wdel.com/news/senate-gives-final-approval-to-recreational-marijuana-bills/article_4529fe04-cda9-11ed-a9cb-0319d6ebfaf6.html

    “I have been a longtime advocate for legalizing marijuana in Delaware and as a member of the General Assembly, I voted for both medical and de-criminalization legislation. Moving forward, we need to avoid mistakes made in other states and regulate marijuana properly to keep it out of the hands of our children, to ensure product and workplace safety and to also ensure fairness for businesses and for the medical use of marijuana. There is work to be done to establish the necessary regulations to achieve these goals and a timeline that achieves the goal of safely legalizing marijuana for recreational use.”

    • Alby says:

      “Keep it out of the hands of our children.”

      Oh please. We do a better job of keeping tobacco out of the hands of our children than we do weed. How hard is it to check an ID?

  3. Grant Brunner says:

    Give the Governor’s office a call, and tell him to sign HB 1 & 2 into law: (302) 744-4101

    It never hurts to be loud about it.

  4. Joe Connor says:

    Even a stopped clock is right twice a day sadly 420 will not be one of those when the gutless Guv sprays Roundup on the Legislation.
    We will find out who walks on the override, I fear.

    • BHL is putting as much distance as possible between herself and Carney. I listened to the debate, and she was not making any pretense of impartiality. I think the message she was sending was to the Governor.

  5. Jean says:

    I’ve pretty given up on the idea of fully legalized mj in Delaware. It’s so easy at this point to get a medical card/go over to Jersey/go to a hookah lounge that pretty much everyone has access. I smell it at most traffic lights and parking lots in the summer, given how pervasive it is the only people who seem to be getting in trouble were engaging in other dangerous or reckless behaviors and the mj was a secondary issue. I’d still welcome full
    legalization but given the other real issues out there I think too much energy has been expended on what is really non-essential issue

    • jason330 says:

      “I smell it at most traffic lights and parking lots in the summer, given how pervasive it is the only people who seem to be getting in trouble were engaging in other dangerous or reckless behaviors…”

      Like being black.

      • Jean says:

        I was going to say speeding, cutting people off, etc. For all I know it’s white kids, I can’t see through the window tint.

        • jason330 says:

          It’s been basically legal for whites for a while now. That’s not shocking observation.

          • Jean says:

            I didn’t know they were denying mmj cards to people of color. If true that’s a pretty big scandal.

            • jason330 says:

              Intentionally obtuse is not a great look.

              • Jean says:

                I’ll let the record speak for itself, I don’t make a habit of
                directing causal snark with the implication of racism at other users.

                I’ve been a strong advocate for unrestricted mj legalization in the past. But the amount of energy expended in this effort is totally disproportionate relative to more pressing issues like lead in school
                drinking water.

      • RE Vanella says:

        Justice for Lymond Moses

    • GeoBumm says:

      Getting a medical card is not easy or cheap and has other implications. Like when you fill out various applications that ask about current perscriptions and doctor’s care. It’s not a get out of jail free card.
      Going to another state: so we let the citizens of NJ, MD (and eventually PA) do the heavy lift our tiny ass state can’t be bothered to do? Great. It also requires transportation and resources not everyone has access to.
      Go to a “hookah lounge”? New one on me. Don’t know how to even respond to that other than you need transportation and the ability to get there. More stoners on the road? Awesome. MADD will soon have a subgroup MAHD.

      It’s easy enough to move into the 21st century. Enough with the haves and have nots.

    • Alby says:

      “I think too much energy has been expended on what is really non-essential issue”

      Look at it this way then:

      1) It’s not as if there’s a finite amount of “energy” involved in writing and passing legislation. The only reason this has dragged on is that the people in the minority position on the issue have thrown up every possible roadblock to its passage. To give up on the issue because of them only encourages them to do it more.

      2) It’s a better way to raise revenue than stealing people’s property because they left it sitting someplace for — what’s it down to, three years? Fixing the lead problem is going to take money. Let’s not spurn an obvious source for some.

      • Beach Karen says:

        The escheat money was always tenuous. It’s beyond time to find more stable sources of revenue.

      • Jean says:

        It’s not even a minority of people- it’s one person. Whether we get BHL or Matt Meyer as the next gov, legal weed will happen. If there are any back room deals made with carney to get a deal through, I’d rather see them happen on something consequential like LEOBOR.

        I don’t like sin taxes being considered as a viable revenue stream, no more than asset forfeiture. If we are operating under the idea that sin taxes(gambling, lottery, cigs) tend to be incurred at a greater rate by low income earners, we end up with a regressive tax.

        • LEOBOR won’t get to the Governor’s desk until/unless the key Kop Kabalists, especially Speaker Pete, are either gone or powerless.

          The pot bills, OTOH, are headed to Carney.

          Um, that’s the difference.

          Not to mention, as has been pointed out, it’s not an either/or.

        • Arthur says:

          I have no problem with a vice tax. or an even higher vice tax. the only downward trending revenue from vice tax is from tobacco products. alcohol, gambling, lottery, etc are all up. hell the de liquor tax is only 3.75 a gallon! it should be 6-7/gallon

    • Arthur says:

      I have to say that is what i dislike about pot the most. Its pungent smell. Its one of those scents, like cologne, that is completely off putting to me.

  6. jason330 says:

    Someone said the racist part out loud the last time this failed. Legalized recreational marijuana impairs he cops ability to fuck with people. Mostly black people as it turns out.

    I’m not saying any DL reader or lurker is racist, but if you don’t see the racism knitted into the system, you are being intentionally dense.

    • Joe Connor says:

      Like!

    • puck says:

      Cops will still be able to search cars based on “odor” of marijuana, since smoking weed while driving will still be illegal, as will any consumption in public. And finding more than personal amounts will still be grounds for a bust and seizure.

      Weed fanboys probably imagine themselves driving around smoking blunts while giving the finger to cops they pass.

  7. RE Vanella says:

    The cops never asked Lymond Moses for a prescription card.

  8. Andrew C says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever smelled weed before. I would probably hate it.

    That said, bring on the gummies!

  9. DoublePlusBadDuckspeaker says:

    I hope this fails.