Delaware’s most popular party beach town wants no part of the state’s newly approved sale of weed.
The Dewey Beach Town Council unanimously voted on Friday, June 16, to prohibit the production and sale of marijuana and other marijuana-related business activities.
With the ban, commercial marijuana dispensaries and farms will not be allowed to set up shop in Dewey Beach without the town’s consent. The sale of marijuana paraphernalia remains legal.
The council’s decision comes after Delaware legalized recreational marijuana for those 21 and older in April. While the state allows private consumption of recreational marijuana, municipalities like Dewey can enact ordinances that prohibit the sale of it.
Delaware legalizes marijuana:Marijuana is legal in Delaware. What does it mean for you?
Public safety concern
The council made the decision because of public safety concerns.
Dewey Beach, approximately 1 mile long and two blocks wide, has 15 establishments that already serve alcohol, according to Town Manager Bill Zolper.
During the council’s meeting, Dewey Chief of Police Constance Speake advocated for the ban, citing problems the town currently faces.
“I do not want this in our town. I think it’s one more thing that we have to deal with,” Speake said. “We deal with a lot of alcohol-related issues with this town with people drinking too much, so we have to spend a lot of focus on that. We don’t want to have to spend more time on this other issue.”
Dewey Mayor Williams Stevens agreed.
“Safety comes first over individual rights, so you cannot infringe upon another’s next to you,” Stevens said.
The ordinance does not prevent the public from traveling to dispensaries outside city limits and purchasing from those establishments. However, it will take time for recreational dispensaries to be available, as it will be over a year before Delaware distributes the first 30 retail licenses to bidders who wish to open a store.
Marijuana dispensaries will take time:Former Delaware law enforcement official to oversee recreational marijuana transition
Dewey follows Ocean City’s lead
Dewey is not the first beach town on the Eastern Shore to react to state marijuana legalizations.
In Maryland, adults 21 years and older can grow, possess and use recreational cannabis starting July 1. Aware of the impending change, Ocean City’s council, like Dewey’s, unanimously voted to ban the sale and consumption of marijuana in public.
Ocean City paved the way:Ocean City cracks down on marijuana consumption, bucking Maryland trend
Dewey and Ocean City pride themselves on being family-friendly, so their decision to prohibit the sale of marijuana may be the start of a trend.
New Jersey beach town taking different approach
Unlike Dewey Beach or Ocean City, Atlantic City is pushing toward becoming a cannabis hub for the East Coast. The town has approved sites for multiple dispensaries in a condensed area along the shore. Grow sites, farms and even a cannabis museum are also set to be built.
Weed capital of New Jersey:From weed hotels to weed museums, Atlantic City plans to become Amsterdam of East Coast
