Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
After months of delays, Delaware's second medical marijuana dispensary opened in Sussex County on Friday — just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
"The timing was not intentional," spokeswoman Pamela Johnston said. "We were waiting to get through all of our inspections and it just worked out that way."
The opening date for First State Compassion Center South near Lewes could not have worked out better for Mike Smith.
A 32-year-old medical marijuana patient who suffered nerve damage during back surgery years earlier, Smith had been dreading his monthly trip to the state's lone dispensary in Wilmington.
"With beach traffic for Memorial Day, I was looking at four or five hours round trip, plus the cost of tolls and gas," the Lewes resident said after visiting the new dispensary. "But thanks to this place, I was able to ride my scooter and get home in about 15 minutes."
Located in the mixed-use development Vineyards at Nassau Valley off U.S. 9 near Lewes, First State is owned by the same company that launched Delaware's first medical marijuana dispensary in Wilmington two years ago.
First State is operated by retired state trooper Mark Lally, who beat out four other bidders to open Sussex County's first dispensary last fall.
The new center initially was slated to open in January, then March and then April —delays the company has attributed to the state's tight regulatory hurdles.
"You kept hearing different dates so I wasn't sure if this was really happening this time," said Mike Elwood, a 57-year-old medical marijuana cardholder from Odessa. "But I was helping a buddy of mine out in Milford so I decided to swing by and check it out."
The new center had some hiccups early Friday. Some computer problems caused a 45-minute delay that resulted in a line.
But those hold-ups were nothing compared to the slow progress of Delaware's foray into medical marijuana, a point of frustration for many patients.
The General Assembly approved the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act in 2011, but former Gov. Jack Markell delayed its implementation for years under the perceived threat of prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, even for medicinal use. But under state law, Delawareans can apply for a medical marijuana card to purchase cannabis at a dispensary so long as a doctor has certified that they have certain qualifying conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, HIV and ailments that cause severe pain and nausea.
The state first began issuing the $125-per-year cards in 2012, although there still were no dispensaries to sell the medication. At that time, the card protected patients only from being prosecuted for possession of up to 6 ounces of marijuana, so long as they were not caught purchasing it from what was then the only source: drug dealers.
The U.S. Justice Department issued guidelines for state medicinal marijuana programs in 2013, but it took another year before DHSS approved a bid from Lally to open a pilot growing operation and dispensary in the Germay Industrial Park off Maryland Avenue.
Legal issues and construction delays pushed First State's opening in Wilmington back to mid-2015 — around the same time lawmakers voted to decriminalize marijuana, downgrading possession of 1 ounce from a criminal offense to a civil violation, like a parking ticket.
By then, more than 300 Delawareans were certified to use medical marijuana.
When Lally won the bid for Sussex last fall, the number of medical marijuana cardholders had exploded to nearly 1,900. Today, more than 3,000 patients statewide are authorized to purchase cannabis.
"I imagine we'll start out with about 500 patients," Lally said of the Lewes-area facility back in March. "And I would expect that number to double in six months."
No marijuana will be grown at the new 4,500-square-foot Lewes-area facility. Instead, the New Castle County dispensary has nearly doubled its crop production to accommodate the Sussex County operation and growing demand near Wilmington.
The new compassion center offers 17 cannabis strains, along with capsules, concentrates, oils, tinctures, topicals and accessories.
The dispensary will be open six days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
"We think it's a great idea," said Paul Smith, who lives in one of the second-floor apartments at the Vineyards with his wife, Diana. "The only concern we have is about parking because I expect they're going to have a lot of customers."
Diana said First State allayed some residents concerns by holding a meeting with neighbors in March and invited the community to tour the facility.
"They guaranteed there would be no drug use in the parking lot or in the facility," she said. "And they've put security cameras up everywhere so that's a benefit as far as we're concerned. They've actually made the area safer."
Lori Steele, owner of the nearby Karma Hair Salon, also pointed to the added security as a benefit, adding that she feels safer at work than she does grocery shopping at a nearby shopping center that houses a drug rehabilitation center.
"There's a lot of opioid abusers over there," she said. "The way I see it, the only thing the pot place is going to bring is more potential customers. We've been handing out flyers and business cards all day."
Marijuana advocates who helped push for medical marijuana are now focusing their efforts on a bill that would make Delaware the ninth state in the nation to legalize the use and sale of marijuana to anyone older than 21.
The legislation, titled the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, recently was moved out of a committee and is expected to come up for a vote before the state House next month. The measure would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the General Assembly because the bill contains new criminal penalties, making its passage a long shot.
A coalition of powerful associations and lobbying groups also is opposing the legislation.
Gov. John Carney also has said he is not in favor of full legalization at this time, noting that the state still needs to iron out all wrinkles with decriminalization and its fledgling medical marijuana program.
Kent County, for instance, is still without a dispensary, although one is in the works.
State officials awarded that bid to New York-based Columbia Care, a leading national medical marijuana provider that operates 20 dispensaries in six states and Puerto Rico.
Columbia's facility is slated to open this fall, although an exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Shari Mosley, a 57-year-old Dover resident who uses medical marijuana to help treat her multiple sclerosis, said she's looking forward to being able to purchase cannabis closer to home.
But until then, she plans to drive to Lewes.
"It's a much nicer drive coming down here, even with the beach traffic," she said. "But the best part is there are no tolls."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Lewes medical marijuana dispensary opens today
Author: Scott Goss
Contact: Contact Us | The Daily Times
Photo Credit: Gary Emeigh
Website: DelmarvaNow.com - Home
"The timing was not intentional," spokeswoman Pamela Johnston said. "We were waiting to get through all of our inspections and it just worked out that way."
The opening date for First State Compassion Center South near Lewes could not have worked out better for Mike Smith.
A 32-year-old medical marijuana patient who suffered nerve damage during back surgery years earlier, Smith had been dreading his monthly trip to the state's lone dispensary in Wilmington.
"With beach traffic for Memorial Day, I was looking at four or five hours round trip, plus the cost of tolls and gas," the Lewes resident said after visiting the new dispensary. "But thanks to this place, I was able to ride my scooter and get home in about 15 minutes."
Located in the mixed-use development Vineyards at Nassau Valley off U.S. 9 near Lewes, First State is owned by the same company that launched Delaware's first medical marijuana dispensary in Wilmington two years ago.
First State is operated by retired state trooper Mark Lally, who beat out four other bidders to open Sussex County's first dispensary last fall.
The new center initially was slated to open in January, then March and then April —delays the company has attributed to the state's tight regulatory hurdles.
"You kept hearing different dates so I wasn't sure if this was really happening this time," said Mike Elwood, a 57-year-old medical marijuana cardholder from Odessa. "But I was helping a buddy of mine out in Milford so I decided to swing by and check it out."
The new center had some hiccups early Friday. Some computer problems caused a 45-minute delay that resulted in a line.
But those hold-ups were nothing compared to the slow progress of Delaware's foray into medical marijuana, a point of frustration for many patients.
The General Assembly approved the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act in 2011, but former Gov. Jack Markell delayed its implementation for years under the perceived threat of prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, even for medicinal use. But under state law, Delawareans can apply for a medical marijuana card to purchase cannabis at a dispensary so long as a doctor has certified that they have certain qualifying conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, HIV and ailments that cause severe pain and nausea.
The state first began issuing the $125-per-year cards in 2012, although there still were no dispensaries to sell the medication. At that time, the card protected patients only from being prosecuted for possession of up to 6 ounces of marijuana, so long as they were not caught purchasing it from what was then the only source: drug dealers.
The U.S. Justice Department issued guidelines for state medicinal marijuana programs in 2013, but it took another year before DHSS approved a bid from Lally to open a pilot growing operation and dispensary in the Germay Industrial Park off Maryland Avenue.
Legal issues and construction delays pushed First State's opening in Wilmington back to mid-2015 — around the same time lawmakers voted to decriminalize marijuana, downgrading possession of 1 ounce from a criminal offense to a civil violation, like a parking ticket.
By then, more than 300 Delawareans were certified to use medical marijuana.
When Lally won the bid for Sussex last fall, the number of medical marijuana cardholders had exploded to nearly 1,900. Today, more than 3,000 patients statewide are authorized to purchase cannabis.
"I imagine we'll start out with about 500 patients," Lally said of the Lewes-area facility back in March. "And I would expect that number to double in six months."
No marijuana will be grown at the new 4,500-square-foot Lewes-area facility. Instead, the New Castle County dispensary has nearly doubled its crop production to accommodate the Sussex County operation and growing demand near Wilmington.
The new compassion center offers 17 cannabis strains, along with capsules, concentrates, oils, tinctures, topicals and accessories.
The dispensary will be open six days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
"We think it's a great idea," said Paul Smith, who lives in one of the second-floor apartments at the Vineyards with his wife, Diana. "The only concern we have is about parking because I expect they're going to have a lot of customers."
Diana said First State allayed some residents concerns by holding a meeting with neighbors in March and invited the community to tour the facility.
"They guaranteed there would be no drug use in the parking lot or in the facility," she said. "And they've put security cameras up everywhere so that's a benefit as far as we're concerned. They've actually made the area safer."
Lori Steele, owner of the nearby Karma Hair Salon, also pointed to the added security as a benefit, adding that she feels safer at work than she does grocery shopping at a nearby shopping center that houses a drug rehabilitation center.
"There's a lot of opioid abusers over there," she said. "The way I see it, the only thing the pot place is going to bring is more potential customers. We've been handing out flyers and business cards all day."
Marijuana advocates who helped push for medical marijuana are now focusing their efforts on a bill that would make Delaware the ninth state in the nation to legalize the use and sale of marijuana to anyone older than 21.
The legislation, titled the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, recently was moved out of a committee and is expected to come up for a vote before the state House next month. The measure would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the General Assembly because the bill contains new criminal penalties, making its passage a long shot.
A coalition of powerful associations and lobbying groups also is opposing the legislation.
Gov. John Carney also has said he is not in favor of full legalization at this time, noting that the state still needs to iron out all wrinkles with decriminalization and its fledgling medical marijuana program.
Kent County, for instance, is still without a dispensary, although one is in the works.
State officials awarded that bid to New York-based Columbia Care, a leading national medical marijuana provider that operates 20 dispensaries in six states and Puerto Rico.
Columbia's facility is slated to open this fall, although an exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Shari Mosley, a 57-year-old Dover resident who uses medical marijuana to help treat her multiple sclerosis, said she's looking forward to being able to purchase cannabis closer to home.
But until then, she plans to drive to Lewes.
"It's a much nicer drive coming down here, even with the beach traffic," she said. "But the best part is there are no tolls."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Lewes medical marijuana dispensary opens today
Author: Scott Goss
Contact: Contact Us | The Daily Times
Photo Credit: Gary Emeigh
Website: DelmarvaNow.com - Home
