A Delaware House committee on Tuesday approved a bill to legalize marijuana for a second time following a procedural mishap that inadvertently prevented public testimony on the proposal at an earlier meeting. Rep. Ed Osienski (D) is sponsoring the legislation to simply legalize cannabis possession and gifting, as well as a companion bill that would create a regulatory framework for the market. The two-track approach to reform is the sponsor’s response to the House defeating a prior measure in March that included both components. The idea is to get the basic legalization bill through the chamber with a simple majority, thereby putting pressure on lawmakers to support the separate proposal that requires a 3/5th supermajority, rather than leave the market unregulated. Key legislators have signaled that the bifurcated approach might work, even if they don’t support legalization. But because of a procedural issue last month—with the chair of the House Health & Human Services Committee approving a motion to vote on the simple legalization bill HB 371 before the public had a chance to testify—the timeline was pushed back.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/04/2022 08:42:00