Delaware considers legalizing cannabis

It's not an American state known for its coffee shops, It's more about its banks, multinationals and very advantageous tax rules. Delaware is currently studying a bill to legalize the use of cannabis. The House Health Committee has just voted in favor of the bill - dubbed the "Cannabis Legislation Act" by the House of Representatives. House Bill 150 - by ten votes to five.

This microstate in the eastern U.S., about the size of a French département, is proposing to authorize consumption by adults over the age of 21. They will also be allowed to carry one ounce (28 grams) of cannabis. Sales of flowers, oils and concentrates would be taxed at 15 %. An incongruity, in a state where income tax climbs to 6 %, at most, and where there is no VAT.

«Giving cannabis a legal framework will license and regulate a new industry, which will create well-paying jobs for Delawareans. At the same time, it will curb the crime that profits from the black market in our state.», pleads Ed Osienski, the Democrat member of parliament behind the text.

The governor «has his doubts»

There's still a long way to go before we see stores popping up in Dover, the state capital. «We still have to draft a funding bill. What's more, the bill won't be heard in the House of Representatives until after the Easter recess. So it'll be late April or early May,» he continues. The House Bill 150 will also face other obstacles.

First and foremost, the defiance of Delaware's Republican congressmen. In the political stronghold of President Joe Biden, The Democrats have a commanding lead in the House of Representatives, with 25 seats to 16. But the Senate is a different matter. Joe Biden's party dominates very slightly, with 11 members, against 10 for the Grand Old Party.

The Democratic governor, close to President Biden, expresses his «doubts» about possible legalization. In Delaware, medical cannabis has been legal for ten years. But the recreational cannabis has always failed to be authorized. In 2019, the same parliamentarian, Ed Osienski, had already drafted a proposal to go further. Problem: it didn't go any further than the Health Committee. But in the last two years, things have changed: New Jersey, immediate neighbor, has just legalized cannabis a month ago.