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As some towns in Delaware ban marijuana dispensaries, Newark appears open to allowing them to locate within city limits, at least in a limited capacity.
On Tuesday, a majority of the planning commission recommended adding marijuana dispensaries as a conditional use in certain commercial districts, meaning that each prospective business would be required to petition city council for a special-use permit. The permit could be denied if council determined that the dispensary would be a detriment to the community.
This approach would treat dispensaries similar to bars, which already require a special-use permit. Notably, liquor stories do not require a special-use permit.
“Since this is all new….to me it makes sense to proceed, but proceed with caution and common sense,” Commissioner Kazy Tauginas said.
The issue now goes to city council for the final decision.
The debate over dispensaries in Newark mirrors similar conversations in many other Delaware towns. When the state legislature legalized marijuana earlier this year, it gave cities and towns the ability to regulate where – and if – dispensaries can open within municipal borders. (Towns cannot, however, pass their own