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Dover City Council enacts moratorium on recreational marijuana licensing through end of year

Roman Battaglia
/
Delaware Public Media
The State of Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner is set to begin accepting applications for recreational marijuana business licenses on September 1.

The Dover mayor and city council put a moratorium on recreational marijuana operations through the end of this year.

The city council passed the resolution seven-to-two Monday night. It says city council will use that time to continue their research and weigh options on best practices for governing recreational marijuana use.

Councilman Brian Lewis did not make a motion opposing the moratorium because he said he would likely be outnumbered.

“Realistically, recreational-use businesses will not happen immediately, as we all heard, because they will still be required to get a permit from the state, which – my understanding is – will not be till the fall,” Lewis said. "Thus the moratorium is not needed, in my opinion."

The State of Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner will begin accepting applications for recreational marijuana business licenses on September 1 and will begin issuing retail licenses on March 1, 2025.

As it stands, the moratorium will not affect Dover-based retail license applicants. There could be delays on cultivation licenses, which will begin to be issued on Nov. 1.

This could change if city council adopts another ordinance before the end of the year. The moratorium could also be rescinded early, according to Kay Sass, public affairs and emergency management coordinator for the City of Dover.

City Clerk Andria Bennett read the resolution in yesterday’s city council meeting.

“It shall be understood that the purpose of this moratorium is to afford the City Council a reasonable due diligence period to consider alternative courses of action relative to the governing of recreational marijuana uses within the city,” Bennet read.

With degrees in journalism and women’s and gender studies, Abigail Lee aims for her work to be informed and inspired by both.

She is especially interested in rural journalism and social justice stories, which came from her time with NPR-affiliate KBIA at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

She speaks English and Russian fluently, some French, and very little Spanish (for now!)
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