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Delaware will be the 22nd state to launch adult-use cannabis sales when dispensaries open for business on Aug. 1, state regulators announced this week.
The Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) gave the green light on July 1 for the state’s 13 existing medical cannabis dispensaries, known as medical marijuana compassion centers, to transition to serving adult-use customers 21 years and older in a first-mover advantage beginning next month.
The forthcoming launch date comes more than two years—831 days to be exact—since former Delaware Gov. John Carney allowed the Delaware Marijuana Control Act to be enacted without his signature in April 2023.
Delaware Marijuana Commissioner Joshua Sanderlin, who was nominated in April 2025 to take the reins, is now overseeing the program rollout.
“The start of legal adult-use marijuana sales reflects the tireless efforts of our regulatory team and our strong partnerships with state agencies, industry stakeholders and community leaders,” Sanderlin said. “Our focus is on building a safe, equitable and accountable marijuana market that delivers real benefits to Delawareans. We will continue to issue conditional licenses to previously selected applicants to ensure they can begin operations once active.”
The OMC finalized regulations for a commercial marketplace in September 2024 under former Marijuana Commissioner Rob Coupe, who had originally hoped for a March 2025 sales launch with a strong focus on social equity licensees.
The OMC held lotteries in October 2024 and December 2024 to award 125 adult-use licenses to cultivators, manufacturers, retailers and testing labs, including for 30 new dispensaries, half of which were reserved for social equity applicants.
However, the spring 2025 sales launch was delayed when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) rejected the OCM’s application in March for a service code needed to initiate Delaware’s statutorily required criminal background checks via a fingerprinting system for new licensees. Existing medical operators have already undergone the background checks.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed legislation less than a month later to align state law with FBI standards for the service code, putting the adult-use sales launch via an equitable rollout back on track. However, the OCM did not specify when new licensees could enter the market in a July 1 press release announcing the Aug. 1 sales commencement.
“Delaware has taken a major step forward by launching a legal adult-use cannabis market that prioritizes equity, safety and accountability,” Meyer said. “This new industry will generate critical revenue to strengthen our schools, infrastructure and public health systems, while creating real opportunities for entrepreneurs. This revenue also gives us a powerful tool to invest in the communities most impacted by the war on drugs, addressing past wrongs and ensuring that the benefits of this new market reach every corner of our state. I’m proud we’re moving quickly and thoughtfully to build a cannabis market that reflects our values and expands opportunity for every Delawarean.”
Initially, there was no path for existing medical cannabis operators to transition to the expanded marketplace under the 2023 legalization legislation. However, the General Assembly passed follow-up legislation in 2024 to provide that pathway to help kickstart the adult-use program. Without medical cannabis companies providing products via established cultivation operations, the sales launch could have remained sidelined for years as new licensees build out their grow facilities.
Still, conversion licenses for medical cannabis companies to transition to adult-use operations came at a significant cost: $200,000 for cultivators, and $100,000 for manufacturers and retailers. The conversion fees resulted in $4 million in funding to support Delaware’s social equity applicant start-up grants, according to the OMC.
MariMed CEO Jon Levine, whose company acquired First State Compassion Center’s cultivation and processing facilities and two dispensaries in March, said he’s excited to participate in the expansion of Delaware’s cannabis program with the sales launch next month.
“Our Delaware business unit, First State Compassion, was the first licensed operator in the state 10 years ago, and since then, we have proudly served the state’s medical cannabis patients,” Levine said. “We are looking forward to opening our doors to many more residents and the nearly 30 million tourists who visit the state annually.”
In anticipation of the sales launch, MariMed has already improved its Wilmington and Lewes dispensaries to help ensure that an increase in customer traffic does not impact the experience and product selections that its medical cannabis patients have enjoyed up until this point, Levine said. The company has also begun scaling production at its cultivation and processing facilities to meet the expected rise in demand.
Delaware’s adult-use marketplace could provide $215 million in economic activity, including more than $40 million in annual state tax revenue, Spotlight Delaware reported earlier this year.
