Lawmakers seek to prop up Delaware medical marijuana industry after legalizing recreational useSenior citizens in Delaware will be able to get medical marijuana without a prescription or referral from a doctor under a bill heading to Democratic Gov. John Carney.
"The medical marijuana industry was here when we needed them," said Sen. Laura Sturgeon, a Wilmington Democrat. "Without the reforms in this bill, it is clear ... that the medical marijuana industry would not be able to survive the legalization of cannabis for adult recreational use." Delaware's first medical marijuana industry opened in 2015. State officials issued 29,039 medical marijuana registration cards in fiscal 2023, a 14% increase from the previous year. Net revenue from the medical marijuana program totaled $656,477 last fiscal year, up from $543,111 in fiscal 2022.
House lawmakers on Thursday unanimously approved a bill providing legal protections for financial institutions and other entities that provide financial or accounting services to marijuana-related businesses. The bill, which now goes to the Senate, specifies that banks, credit unions, armored car services, and providers of accounting services are not subject to prosecution for providing lawful services to licensed businesses producing, distributing and selling marijuana.