Delaware Senate Committee Approves Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

The full Senate will now consider HB 39, which would replace potential jail time with a civil fine for possession of a small amount of marijuana by adults; the House approved the measure earlier this month

DOVER, DE — The Delaware Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill 4-2 on Wednesday that would remove criminal penalties and potential jail time for simple adult marijuana possession and replace them with a civil fine similar to a traffic ticket.

The measure will now be considered by the full Senate.

House Bill 39, introduced by Rep. Helene Keeley (D-Wilmington South) in the House and sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chair Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilimington East) in the Senate, would make possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by an adult a civil violation punishable by a $100…