Delaware Lawmakers Budget $4.1M for Adult-Use Cannabis Rollout

A Delaware legislative committee on Tuesday approved $4.1 million for funding the regulatory rollout of the state’s adult-use cannabis industry, WMDT reports. The funding approved by the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will help establish the regulatory infrastructure needed within the state government to begin the adult-use cannabis licensing and oversight process.  

Of the $4.1 million, $2.2 million is expected to be ongoing, recurring funding, with $1.9 million in one-time costs. The funding will be included in legislative budgets that need to be adopted by lawmakers and Gov. John Carney (D). Carney is facing a September 29 deadline to name a Marijuana Control Commission and regulations for adult-use cannabis licensing are due by July 1, 2024.

Under the state’s legalization law, the Marijuana Control Commissioner must begin issuing 30 retail and five testing licenses no later than February 1, 2025 – the deadline requirement in the regulatory framework of the legislation, meaning that it could happen sooner but no later than that date.

Delaware State Rep. Ed Osienski (D), who sponsored the adult-use legislation, told WMDT that “things could move a litter faster” than the dates set forth in the law.

The final budget must be approved by the General Assembly by July 1.