Jonathan Starkey

The News Journal

Gov. Jack Markell, who signed legislation in 2011 legalizing marijuana for medical purposes before delaying the program's launch, is "willing to discuss" changes that would reduce penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana, according to a spokesman for the governor.

Markell has said he would not support a move toward full legalization of the drug, like in Colorado in Washington, absent further studies about the consequences of legalization.

"The Governor has supported making marijuana available for medical purposes and DHSS expects to license a dispensary that can open in Delaware this year," Markell spokesman Jonathon Dworkin said in a statement. "The Governor is willing to discuss changing the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana from jail sentences to just fines, but he would not support full legalization at this time without further studies and evidence of its consequences."

More than two-thirds of Delawareans surveyed last month by Public Policy Polling supported the removal of criminal penalties for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana, making it punishable by a $100 fine and no jail time. Under current law, possession of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $1,150 in fines.

The poll was commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Another pro-legalization group, Delaware NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, organized lobbying efforts in Legislative Hall on Thursday, bringing advocates to meet with lawmakers.

In last month's poll, support for reducing penalties for pot possession was found across party lines and age groups. Eighty percent of Democrats supported it; as did 51 percent of Republicans. Public Policy Polling surveyed 951 Delaware voters on March 18 and 19. The margin of error was 3.2 percent.

More than 60 percent of Democrats polled supported regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol. Republicans opposed the idea by a similar margin. Younger Delawareans were more likely to support the idea.

"The era of criminalizing people for marijuana possession is over," Robert Capecchi, deputy director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. "Nobody should face life-altering criminal penalties and time in jail simply for possessing a small amount of a substance that is less harmful than alcohol."

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