From midnight Saturday night, Delaware will be the 22nd state in the United States to legalize cannabis for adult use. governor John Carney (D) announced on Friday that he will allow two accompanying bills legalizing cannabis to pass into law without his signature. This decision comes as neighboring states New Jersey and Maryland have already passed legislation legalizing cannabis for adult use.

HB 1, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, will legalize possession of a limited amount of cannabis for adults 21 and older under Delaware state law. The bill was submitted to Governor Carney and will go into effect at the end of the day on Saturday, April 22nd. Meanwhile, HB 2, submitted to the Governor on Friday, April 14, will legalize and regulate the cultivation and sale of cannabis. This separate bill will go into effect at the end of the day on Wednesday, April 26th. Both bills were passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives and Senate.

As a result of these legislative moves, Delaware joins 21 other states that have already legalized cannabis for adult use. In addition, bills to legalize adult-use cannabis are currently being passed by state legislatures such as Minnesota and New Hampshire.

The Delaware Cannabis Policy Coalition, which includes several member organizations, expressed support for the state’s decision. Toi Hutchinson, President and CEO of marijuana Policy Project, said, “With this move, Delawareans can finally celebrate the long-awaited end of cannabis prohibition! We applaud Gov. Carney for not standing in the way of progress. With every new state that rises to the challenge and legalizes cannabis, we move one step closer to ending cannabis prohibition nationwide.”

Olivia Naugle, Senior Policy Analyst at the Marijuana Policy Project, added, “MPP is proud to have played a pivotal role in efforts to legalize cannabis in Delaware. We applaud the Legislature and the tireless work of the attorneys for their commitment to ending…