Delaware governor vetoes marijuana commercialization bill

Abstract

Last week, Gov. John Carney of Delaware vetoed House Bill 371. Although Gov. Carney supports decriminalization and has said he doesn't think individuals should be incarcerated solely for possession and personal use of marijuana, he said in a statement: “I do not believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware, especially our young people.” The bill would have removed all penalties for possession or use of small amounts (less than an ounce) of marijuana. The current decriminalization law already bans incarceration for small amounts of marijuana. According to Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group that opposes marijuana expansion, the bill would have exploited people who are suffering from addiction and ignored the harms that marijuana can have on physical and mental health.