After two years of waiting, Delawareans will no longer need a prescription to legally purchase the drug in the state
Delaware will begin recreational marijuana sales on Aug. 1, state officials announced Tuesday, putting the first definitive date on the start of a long-awaited rollout for the $280 million industry.
Customers on that first day will be heading to existing medical marijuana businesses though, as the burgeoning legal market has yet to develop the dozens of new businesses licensed for recreational-only sales.
That decision has already sparked criticism from advocates and residents, who say it puts other businesses at an unfair disadvantage.
For years, medical marijuana dispensaries have denied that they sought the handful of licenses available at the time in order to get a first-adopter advantage for the eventual recreational market. But now that is occurring.
“The existing medical marijuana dispensaries lobbied for less competition and to begin sales before new businesses, and now, with the [Office of the Marijuana Commissioner]-caused delays, they will end up with first sales and absolutely no competition,” Zoë Patchell, president of the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network, which advocated for years for legalization, wrote in a Facebook post.
Delaware medical marijuana dispensaries
Delaware’s adult-use marijuana industry, which was legalized in 2023, allowed for 125 licensees to operate throughout the state across cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and retail sales. The operators were chosen at the end of last year through a lottery system that saw more than 1,200 individuals apply.
Entering the licensing lottery alone required individuals to submit detailed applications and fees. Most application fees cost $5,000, with the active license itself costing up to $10,000.
Medical marijuana operators seeking to enter the recreational market were required to pay steep conversion fees — $100,000 for retail or manufacturing licenses and $200,000 for cultivation.
The state used the revenue to create a $4 million reimbursement fund for social equity applicants, defined as individuals with prior marijuana-related convictions or those from communities disproportionately impacted by prior marijuana enforcement.
Since March, business operators have been awaiting clarity from the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner, the state office in charge of regulating the industry, on when sales could legally begin.
The market’s launch was originally slated for April but faced delays after the state failed to secure FBI approval to conduct background checks on licensees.
As of June 18, 43 individuals have cleared their background checks, according to OMC spokeswoman Keila Montalvo. The office did not respond to requests for information on how many conditional licenses have been issued.
This excerpt was republished from Spotlight Delaware. You can read their full article here.
