Delaware governor signs bill decriminalizing pot: report (Source Reuters) Delaware Governor Jack Markell has signed into law a bill decriminalizing possession and private use of small amounts of marijuana. The measure will allow individuals in Delaware to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and use it privately without facing criminal sanctions, though police could still confiscate the drug, according to Delaware Online, The News Journal. The statute also will reduce the penalty for using marijuana in a public place to a $100 civil fine. Under previous Delaware law, simple marijuana possession was a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,150. Not counting Delaware, 17 states have passed laws to decriminalize personal marijuana use and possession in small amounts, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a lobbying group.