The Delaware Senate approved a bill 12-9 that will eliminate criminal penalties and jail time for adult possession of a small amount of marijuana, reports the Marijuana Policy Project. Under current Delaware law, adults found guilty of marijuana possession face a maximum punishment of a $575 fine and three months in jail. They also get a permanent criminal record. The new law makes possession a civil offense, punishable by a fine of up to $100 with no possibility of jail time, much like a traffic ticket.
Governor Jack Markell is expected to sign the bill into law. In a March letter to the editor of The New York Times, Governor Markell wrote that he is “hopeful that [his] state will decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.”
Delaware Senate Committee Approves Bill to Remove Criminal Penalties for Marijuana Possession