Some thought the debate over marijuana was over until 2025, when Carney’s second and final term ends. But prime sponsor Rep. Ed Osienski, a Newark-area Democrat, pointed to support from some newly elected members who may be able to increase the vote tally.
“We have some new members, we have some new energy,’’ he said earlier this year. “I think a lot of them realized that I’m just not going to let this go.”
After about 40 minutes of debate Tuesday afternoon, the House voted 28-13 to approve legal marijuana.
“Sixty percent of Delawareans believe that the recreational use of marijuana should be legal,” Osienski said before the vote, pointing to a University of Delaware poll that found broad support in the state for legal marijuana. “It is time for us to listen to our constituents and make Delaware the 22nd state to legalize adult use, recreational marijuana.”
Opponents like Rep. Charles Postles, a Republican from Milford, expressed doubts about the bill and its impact on young people and the “detrimental effect that it has on brain development.” He added that “underage use of any illicit product is a concern. It happens with alcohol, it happens with cigarettes, and it certainly happens with drugs.”
Osienski agreed,…
