Delaware Awards 15 Cannabis Dispensary Licenses

The Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) held the state’s cannabis dispensary business license lottery last week, awarding licenses to 15 applicants from across the state, the Delaware News Journal reports. Officials said they received 529 applications for dispensary licenses.

The winning applicants, however, cannot immediately launch their businesses. First, they must satisfy several more requirements before they can receive a conditional license, including:

• Paying any background check-related fees or costs
• Providing documentation on the company’s finances and ownership
• Submitting notice from a labor organization that the licensee reached a labor peace agreement with said group
• Reaching compliance with local zoning laws, and fire and building codes
• Satisfying any last official information or documentation requests

Applicants have 18 months to satisfy these requirements, the report said. If the requirements are not met or if a licensee fails to open their business in time, the license will be rescinded.

Of the 15 applicants who won dispensary licenses in last week’s lottery, three operators are in Kent County, five are in Sussex County, and seven are in New Castle County.

Delaware‘s open application period for cannabis licenses in the state ended September 30 and with application fees costing $5,000 for standard licenses, $3,000 for microbusiness licenses, and $1,000 for social equity fees, the state earned more than $4 million from cannabis applications.