Markell on legal weed: "Not gonna happen"

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell says marijuana won't be legalized here while he's governor, saying "we've got a lot more to learn" about the effects of full legalization on states.

"I'm certainly willing to look at the decriminalization aspect. I am not in support of doing what they've done in Colorado or Washington state or a few other places, doing full legalization," Markell, a Democrat, told WHYY. "It's not gonna happen while I'm governor. It may be the right thing. But I don't think we know. I think we need to take a few years and see what the impact has been in some of these other states."

Markell is term-limited and will leave office in January 2017.

But the governor's comments represent his strongest opposition yet to full legalization in Delaware. They came as legalization took effect in Washington, D.C., late last month, allowing city residents to possess up to 2 ounces of the drug for personal use. Alaska voters also legalized the drug there.

Delaware lawmakers will consider decriminalizing possession of marijuana when they return to Dover in March. Legislation introduced by Rep. Helene Keeley, a Wilmington Democrat, would treat possession of up to an ounce of marijuana like a traffic ticket.

Delawareans caught with that amount of weed would face civil fines, but not a criminal record.

"There are a lot of people out there who, instead of going home and having a martini, or going home and having a glass of wine, they want to go home and take a couple hits," Keeley said in January.

Keeley's legislation is believed to have Markell's support.

Contact Jonathan Starkey at (302) 983-6756, on Twitter @jwstarkey or at jstarkey@delawareonline.com.