Delaware Moving Forward With Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D) informed state lawmakers Thursday that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will be moving forward with drafting regulations for a medical marijuana dispensary program. This is very welcome news that is long overdue. In a letter to the legislators who sponsored the state's medical marijuana law, Markell said:

As a result of our review of policies in Rhode Island, New Jersey and other states, I have become convinced that proceeding with our program, while making considered modifications to address federal concerns, is the appropriate course for Delaware. Therefore, I am writing you to inform you that [the Department of Health and Human Services] will proceed to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for a pilot compassion center to open in Delaware next year.

Despite enacting the law in 2011 and ordering DHHS to issue regulations for medical marijuana patient ID cards, Markell halted the process of setting up compassion centers in 2012 after receiving a somewhat threatening letter from the U.S. attorney. As a result, patients have not been able to legally obtain medical marijuana because the law does not allow home cultivation. If you live in Delaware, please take a moment to email our legislative champions to thank them for their hard work on behalf of medical marijuana patients. You can also email Gov. Markell to thank him for moving forward. Finally, please share this great news with your friends and family in The First State.