DOVER, Del. (AP) - Gov. Jack Markell has decided to move forward with a medical marijuana program in Delaware after halting plans last year amid fears that state officials could be subject to federal prosecution.
In a letter to lawmakers Thursday, Markell proposed a scaled-down pilot program involving one state-licensed "compassion center" that would grow and distribute marijuana to eligible medical patients. A law signed by Markell in 2011 called for three such centers.
Citing changes made to medical marijuana programs in Rhode Island and New Jersey, Markell said he believes a single, tightly secured compassion center could allay federal concerns about multiple, large-scale centers.
Markell halted implementation of Delaware's medical marijuana program last year after federal officials indicated that people involved in cultivating and distributing marijuana could face civil fines or prosecution.