Delaware officially opened doors to recreational cannabis sales on Friday, August 1. Adults 21 and older can now legally buy marijuana and cannabis-infused products from licensed dispensaries across the state.
This marks the first stage of Delaware’s rollout of adult-use cannabis, starting with a few existing medical marijuana dispensaries that have been approved to serve both medical patients and adult consumers. The dispensaries were granted special conversion licenses, allowing them to transition into dual-purpose operations.
The move is part of the state’s gradual approach to launching its regulated marijuana market, focused on safety, fairness, and legal oversight.
According to Josh Sanderlin, the state’s Marijuana Commissioner, this first step represents a significant achievement for the regulated cannabis program. He noted the hard work and coordination it took to get to this point and confirmed that more licenses will be issued in the coming months.
To celebrate the start of legal sales, Sanderlin became the first recreational buyer at Wilmington’s Thrive Cannabis Dispensary.
The changes come as a result of legislation passed in 2023 that legalized recreational marijuana and created a regulatory system to manage the industry. The law places strong emphasis on protecting public health and ensuring that opportunities in the industry are accessible to communities most affected by previous cannabis laws.
The state’s Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) finalized its regulations in September 2024 following a public feedback period. More than 1,200 license applications were submitted during the 2024 window, with 125 licenses granted through a lottery last December.
Businesses that held medical cannabis licenses and successfully applied for conversion licenses were the first to receive approval for adult-use operations. Not every medical dispensary is making the switch. Two facilities, Fresh Cannabis in Milford and another in Seaford, are sitting out due to local restrictions on recreational sales.
Deputy Commissioner Paul Hyland praised the cooperation between the state and the established medical providers, stating, “These operators played a key role in helping us launch smoothly. As more businesses join the market, we’ll keep working to grow the industry responsibly and inclusively.”
While only a few locations are open to recreational customers right now, many more are preparing to launch. A total of 30 new dispensaries are expected to open across Delaware, split evenly between general retail licenses and social equity recipients.
The state aims to have all conditional licenses awarded by Labor Day. Once issued, licensees will have one year and six months to become fully operational.
This launch is likely to be applauded by the wider marijuana industry across the North American region, including leading entities like Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: CGC) (TSX: WEED).
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