Del.: Bill to legalize cannabis sales fall short on House floor; HB 371 lands on governor’s desk

Ask the governor to sign the simple legalization bill and sign up to phone bank!

Yesterday, HB 372 – a bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis sales in the state – fell short of the needed 25 votes. Notably, the bill sponsor, Rep. Ed Osienski (D), changed his vote from yes to no, which will allow him to have the bill reconsidered before the legislative session ends on June 30. The final vote count was 23-15 with two absences (one of whom is a cosponsor of the bill).

Meanwhile, HB 371, a bill that would legalize possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for adults, was transmitted to Gov. John Carney’s (D) desk yesterday. He will have until May 31 to act on the bill.

Gov. Carney has been wary of legalization, so we need all hands on deck to convince him not stand in the way of progress. Gov. Carney has spoken up against the racist, traumatic search of the women’s lacrosse team in Georgia. He needs to hear voters demand he sign HB 371 into law to stop racist, pretextual searches at home in Delaware. 

Here’s how you can help:

1. Call the governor today and ask him to allow HB 371 become law.
2. Follow up with an email.
3. Sign up to phone bank next week with us to generate constituent calls to the governor.

You can sign up using this Google form (we have lunchtime and evening shifts available). We will provide a quick training, script, and directions in advance. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to info@delawarecannabispolicy.org.

The fight is not over to bring legalization to Delaware in this year!

Thank you for your continued support to make sure 2022 is the year Delaware legalizes and regulates cannabis for adults. Please share this message with your networks in Delaware to spread the word and encourage them to take action, too.