When Delaware legalized marijuana last year, Zoe Patchel began anticipating the day when she and fellow users could walk into their neighborhood weed store and buy some buds or edibles.
That's because lawmakers authorized 30 retail stores throughout the state — 14 in New Castle County, 10 in Sussex and six in Kent. The state's 13 existing medical marijuana dispensaries also could be getting retail licenses.
Yet with licenses expected to be issued later this year, and stores most likely to open in spring 2025, the available spots where shoppers will be able to buy their legal stash keep dwindling.
Several Delaware towns and cities have taken advantage of a provision in the law that created the legal market by banning retail stores, along with growing, manufacturing and testing sites.
Read more at Whyy.