House lawmakers introduced two bills Friday to legalize and create a recreational marijuana industry in Delaware, setting up a likely fight within the Democratic Party this legislative session.
For a decade, Democrats have been trying to legalize recreational marijuana in Delaware, only to be blocked by members of their own party – namely Gov. John Carney. It reached its climax last year when a legalization bill passed both chambers but was then vetoed by Carney, who is staunchly against it.
Efforts to overturn the veto, which in itself was rare in Delaware, failed. Several Democrats who voted for the legislation initially backed down after the governor’s veto. House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf has also previously been against the legislation.
All the while, New York, New Jersey and Maryland have all legalized recreational marijuana.
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What’s the strategy this year?
With Carney in office for another two years, it’s unlikely the moderate Democrat will change his positioning, even if it breaks from where his party stands nationally. But there is some hope: The addition of several progressives in the Delaware House of Representatives.
The legislation went through several iterations last year, finding some success by dividing it up into two separate bills: One to legalize small amounts of recreational marijuana for personal use and another to create and regulate the…