Population size gives Smyrna edge over Milford to house marijuana dispensary

Sorry, Milford.

Delaware's next medical marijuana dispensary will be located in Smyrna.

New York-based Columbia Care has confirmed plans to open its future retail location in Kent County's northern-most town – days after the site was leaked on Facebook by a patient advocacy group.

"It's true that we recently finalized a lease on that location," said John Gilbert, the nonprofit's state director. "We think Smyrna is closer to a larger population base of patients and we're very excited to be there."

Columbia Care, which operates dispensaries in seven other states, won a contract in late 2016 to serve Kent County – the only county in Delaware that still does not have a "compassionate care" facility.

More than 500 people certified by their doctors to purchase medical marijuana live in Kent County, according to the state health department. That's about 14.5 percent of the 3,588 medical marijuana patients statewide as of July 1.

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Until now, Columbia Care had declined to disclose its future location – now slated to open in the spring.

A copy of its contract with the state obtained by The News Journal earlier this month indicated Columbia Care would be opening both a dispensary and a marijuana grow operation at an industrial park in Milford – on the opposite end of the county.

"That had been our plan but we encountered a zoning issue with the dispensary," CEO Nicholas Vita said. "Our manufacturing facility will still be in Milford, but the retail site will be in Smyrna."

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, which oversees the state's medical marijuana program, does not break down patient populations by town or zip code.

But Smyrna – the state's fifth largest town with 11,500 residents – is a 20-minute drive from Middletown with 21,000 residents and the state capital Dover, which has 38,000 inhabitants.

"Getting another dispensary is going to be great," said Kim Petters, an Air Force veteran who uses medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

"And Smyrna is definitely better than Milford," the Magnolia resident said. "But honestly I was hoping for a more central location in Dover because its still going to a bit of a drive for a good portion of the people in Kent County."

Columbia Care declined to provide an exact address for its future dispensary. But the Smyrna Business Park off Del. 300 is the only location where the compassionate care center would be permitted under a zoning change town council approved in 2014.

The industrial park is home to Blue Earl Brewing Co., a WalMart distribution center, the town's public works department and several private businesses, including Leaping Lizards, a popular venue for children's birthday parties.

Vita and Gilbert said they have had regular contract with town officials and other "stakeholders" about the new location.

Smyrna Mayor John Embert III, however, denied any knowledge of the future dispensary. Wilmer Abbott, the town's manager of planning and zoning, also said he was unaware of the facility.

"Typically, a business will come to me to check whether they're meeting zoning code or if there are any extra steps they have to take before they begin a fit out," he said last week. "But I've never heard anything from this group or any potential user of this type."

Word that Columbia Care had selected Smyrna for its future dispensary first broke last week thanks to a Facebook post by the patient advocacy group The Delaware Patient Network. Debra McPherson-Nau said she got a call from Columbia Care after seeing her quoted in The News Journal.

"He wanted to be sure I knew what they were planning to do and clear the air about their location," she said. "I think Smyrna is a great choice because it's close to Del. 1 and an area of the state that is currently not being served."

The General Assembly approved the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act in 2011, but then-Gov. Jack Markell delayed its implementation for years.

A contract for Delaware's first dispensary near Wilmington was awarded in 2014 to a First State Compassion Center. But legal issues and construction delays pushed back the opening another year.

First State won a second contract in 2016 to open a dispensary in Lewes. That facility opened in May – again after months of delays.

The company remains the state's only source of medical marijuana, which can be used to treat a host of qualifying conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, HIV and ailments that cause severe pain and nausea.

A contract for a second New Castle County dispensary was awarded earlier this year to Compassionate Care Research Institute, a New Jersey-based company. That retail site is tentatively slated for Ogletown Road in Newark next spring.

Many medical marijuana patients say they are hopeful the new dispensaries will help drive down prices and improve supply issues they encounter as a result of First State's current monopoly on the industry.

Newark-area resident Rich Jester, a cardholder who suffers from arthritis, said he has been waiting months to purchase products from First State that are rich in cannabidiol – a compound with purported medical benefits that does not provide the high typically associated with marijuana.

"I'm really hoping these new dispensaries ease the strain on the existing facilities and allow for better service," he said. "Because right now, Delaware's medical marijuana program is like the most unpredictable, ineffective farmer's market on the planet."

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.