Delaware dispensary set for April opening

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Delaware’s first – and only – dispensary is on track to open in the spring after a four-year delay left patients without a place to purchase medical cannabis.

First State Compassion Center hopes to officially launch in April, according to the News Journal. Headed by a former state trooper, First State won a two-year contract to operate the lone dispensary allowed in the entire state.

More than 160 patients have state cards that allow them to use marijuana to treat various illnesses, yet they have no place to legally buy the drug.

Delaware legalized medical marijuana in 2011 but put its dispensary program on hold over fears of federal intervention. The state’s governor revived the program last year, but scaled it back significantly.

Delaware could eventually legalize recreational marijuana as well. A lawmaker has proposed lowering the penalty for possessing a small amount of cannabis to a simple ticket, which is a key step along the road to rec legalization.

The Marijuana Policy Project is hoping to help legalize recreational cannabis in Delaware by 2017.