DELAWARE- State officials are still navigating the framework surrounding recreational marijuana sales, with the state's marijuana commissioner possibly swayed to explore a new avenue.
Recent discussions within the marijuana realm have honed in on a concept termed "deli-style sales."
As the timeline for recreational sales rapidly approaches, State Marijuana Commissioner Robert Coupe initially expressed staunch support for the sales model used in the medical industry.
"The package is tamper-resistant. You can tell that no one has messed with it," Commissioner Coupe emphasized regarding the pre-packaged approach prioritized for safety concerns. "It is child resistant and it also ensures the testing that we have authorized on the product is consistent with what the consumer wants to purchase."
However, at a recent meeting, the commissioner's perspective appeared to evolve following a compelling presentation by two advocates about deli-style sales.
"The apothecary or deli-style is where the marijuana buds are displayed usually in jars and customers can see what it looks like, the color, they can see how full it is, open the jar, maybe get a whiff of it," Coupe elaborated.
Coupe envisions this potentially mitigating illegal weed sales, underscoring it as a primary objective for his office.
The CEO and co-owner of the local Felton dispensary "The Farm," Jennifer Stark, expressed openness to the idea.
"We are certainly open to a deli-style and I think there are a lot of different routes to go," Stark affirmed, highlighting potential trade-offs such as longer checkout times and added steps in the process.
Stark mentioned that The Farm conducted a poll among customers regarding deli-style sales, which garnered mixed opinions. Some supported the idea, while others raised concerns about potential product contamination.
While the Commission leans towards allowing dispensaries the autonomy to opt-in, Coupe stresses the imperative of proving the safety and feasibility of deli-style operations.
"It'll essentially be like a variance they would apply for, and they'll have to convince us how they can do it safely, how they can do it responsibly, and then if we approve it, they will have the ability to offer that to their customers."
Coupe affirms that the office is on track with the timeline for recreational sales, suggesting they'll likely be operational by next March in Delaware.