Delaware bill to ease zoning regulations for marijuana shops heads to the House
SUSSEX CO., Del. – A bill that would ease zoning regulations for adult-use cannabis shops in places like Sussex County recently passed in the Delaware Senate and now heads to the House.
Senator Trey Paradee said he introduced Senate Bill 75 because the Sussex County Council effectively “outlawed” the sale of Cannabis in Sussex County.
“They passed an ordinance that said that retail locations could not be located within 3,000 feet, which is three quarters of a mile, from any church, any school, any daycare, any municipal boundary, any government building, parks, etc. and if you draw a 3,000 foot circumference around all those things I just mentioned, it effectively just completely blacks out all of Sussex County,” said Sen. Paradee.
Paradee said Senate Bill 75 would cut that 3,000 foot buffer to 500 feet for most of those types of locations.
“If you look at the 60-plus liquor stores that exist in Sussex County today, there aren’t anywhere near the kind of restrictions that Senate Bill 75 would still include for cannabis locations,” he said.
On the other hand, State Representative Bryan Shupe says whether you are for or against the legalization of recreational marijuana, Delawareans should be wary.
“This is another example of state coming in and telling the county that their decisions made on the local level are not correct and they’re going to override their decision making process,” said Rep. Shupe.
Shupe said easing some of the current zoning restrictions would have a negative impact in one of the cities he represents.
“By changing some of the codes, they will have real impacts and in Milford, that impact will allow for one of the centers to be next to a drug rehabilitation center and that can be dangerous for a lot of people who want to make that correct step for their life to get healthy and become clean,” said Rep. Shupe.
Sen. Paradee says he believes passing this bill is the right and fair thing to do, pointing to many business owners who have already poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into recreational marijuana facilities in the county.
The bill is scheduled for a vote in the House this week.
