Reefer rush, The Office of Marijuana Commissioner announced the date they will begin accepting applications for pot businesses

WILMINGTON, DE. – Recreational marijuana has been legal in Delaware since April 23rd, 2023 but the rules and regulations governing the business of pot are still being ironed out. Thursday The Office of Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) announced that it will begin accepting online applications for marijuana licenses starting this month. That application process will open up on Monday, August 19th and the window will close September 30.

There are several different components to the legal marijuana business, overall a total of 125 licenses are available but that covers a number of categories.

• Marijuana Cultivation Facility (60 licenses)
  • LT-1: Open Cultivation License – 20 licenses
  • LT-2: Social Equity Cultivation (≥2500 ft²) – 10 licenses
  • LT-3: Microbusiness Cultivation – 20 licenses
  • LT-11: Social Equity Cultivation (≤2500 ft²) – 10 licenses
• Marijuana Product Manufacturing Facility (30 licenses)
  • LT-4: Open Manufacturing – 10 licenses
  • LT-5: Social Equity Manufacturing – 10 licenses
  • LT-6: Microbusiness Manufacturing – 10 licenses
• Retail Marijuana Store (30 licenses)
  • LT-7: Open Retail License – 15 licenses
  • LT-8: Social Equity Retail License – 15 licenses
• Marijuana Testing Facility (5 licenses)
  • LT-9: Open Testing Facility – 3 licenses
  • LT-10: Social Equity Testing Facility – 2 licenses

The total number of licenses will be split up, not only by license type but also by county. OMC released this chart to show the specific details: 

 Each licensing category has both an open category and a social equity category. In the open category, anyone can apply for the available licenses if they meet the base requirements. In the social equity category, there are different requirements and benefits that an applicant can take advantage of. According to the state's website, these licenses are reserved for applicants from areas that have been disproportionately affected by high rates of arrest, conviction, and incarceration for marijuana-related offenses. You can find the full criteria here.

All eligible applications will be entered into a lottery, which will be overseen by the Commissioner and conducted in late October 2024. Licenses are expected to be issued starting in November 2024. The OMC has provided comprehensive guidance to assist applicants, including a document matrix and application templates, available on their website at OMC.delaware.gov.