Concerns remain as Delaware pot dispensary nears opening

Leaders of Delaware's first medical marijuana dispensary set to open in less than two weeks say state regulations may restrict patients' legal access to the drug.

Delaware health regulations prevent the First State Compassion Center from cultivating more than 150 plants, or keeping an inventory of more than 1,500 ounces of the drug.

That may not be enough to satisfy the demand, with about 340 Delawareans currently holding medical marijuana IDs and about 100 more in the application stage.

The number of cardholders is only expected to increase with the opening of the dispensary more than four years after lawmakers legalized pot for medical use.

"We have to remain viable," Mark Lally, president of the dispensary, said on Monday. "We don't want a period to go by where we don't have enough for our patients."

With certification from a doctor and a state-issued medical marijuana license, Delawareans can lawfully possess the drug to treat symptoms associated with cancer; Alzheimer's disease; post-traumatic stress disorder; and conditions that cause intractable nausea, severe pain or seizures, among other conditions.

Last week, lawmakers gave final approval to legislation that will allow minors to use marijuana-based oils to treat seizures, nausea and other conditions, adding to concerns about capacity at the dispensary.

Markell is expected to sign the legislation.

Joel Allcock, senior vice president of the dispensary, said more plant matter is needed to produce oils, compared to leaf marijuana.

Allcock said the market should determine how many plants the dispensary can cultivate, and the quantity of the drug allowed in inventory, adding that the dispensary continues to work with health regulators on the capacity issue.

"It is a concern," Allcock said.

Reporters got a first look on Monday at the marijuana dispensary, a 47,000-square-foot facility in a nondescript industrial park at 37 Germay Drive west of Wilmington.

Beyond a secured door fitted with bulletproof glass is a lobby where patients will obtain the drug. Out of sight on Monday were 17 marijuana grow rooms, and more than 100 cameras that record nearly every movement within the facility.

Allcock, who oversees cultivation and dispensary operations, said the purchasing process in the lobby will run much like a deli counter. Patients will select a number, and approach the desk when they are called.

Workers will offer patients different strains of the drug, and also different options for ingesting their medicine – from typical leaf marijuana to oils and lozenges.

"We're a medical facility," Allcock told reporters on Monday. "I'm concerned with helping patients who have been waiting for their medicine."

"Every patient who comes through these doors has a real medical need," Allcock added.

Patient orientations are scheduled for Thursday, June 18, and Friday, June 19. The dispensary will open at 10:30 a.m. on June 26.

Lawmakers and Markell legalized the drug for medicinal use in mid-2011, but Markell delayed the opening of the first dispensary for years over concerns the U.S. Department of Justice could prosecute officials involved in the medical marijuana program.

Markell continues to the delay the opening of dispensary sites in Kent and Sussex counties, which are called for under the 2011 law.

Contact Jonathan Starkey at (302) 983-6756, on Twitter @jwstarkey or at jstarkey@delawareonline.com.