| Delaware, bordered by adult-use cannabis market entrants Maryland and New Jersey (and the optimistic whims of Pennsylvania), has never been a sure bet on legalization. Last year, in May 2022, a bumpy ride eventually delivered a supermajority “yes” vote on cannabis decriminalization, allowing adults 21 and older to legally possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis. Democratic Gov. John Carney vetoed that proposal. Around the same time, the General Assembly took on a full-scale adult-use cannabis legalization bill, complete with a path to a regulated marketplace. That bill failed to pass, thanks in part to one legislator’s untimely sick day. “This whole thing has been up and down, up and down,” Rep. Ed Osienski, the legalization bill’s sponsor said at the time. “This was a down.” One can now read Osienski’s remark as a succinct summary of the state of cannabis reform in Delaware. But wait! Osienski is back in 2023 with House Bills 1 and 2. The intent is similar to the previous session: teeing up a decriminalization measure and a legalize-and-regulate structure for the state. House committees will address these matters today and tomorrow (Jan. 24 and 25). For his part in all this up-and-down business, Osienski sounds like he's ready to roll once again. “We have spent the past several years educating members about the merits of this program and dispelling the misconceptions that have persisted,” he said. “I’m optimistic that we have the support to make this effort a reality.” Here at CBT World Headquarters, we’re putting together our own list of states likely to legalize cannabis this year. The odds on Delaware may be steep, but as anyone who watched the Bengals-Bills game last weekend will attest: Don’t go counting out the underdog just yet. -Eric Sandy, Digital Editor | 