The Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) has announced that 529 applicants have advanced to the lottery stage for 15 open retail marijuana licenses in Delaware.
(Photo credit: Vicente LLP).
The highly anticipated Licensing Lottery will take place on December 19, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. in Dover. The event will be broadcast live on Facebook through the “Office of The Marijuana Commissioner” page, providing transparency in the selection process.
Applicants who met the minimum qualifications and paid the required fees were assigned a lottery number. Separate drawings will be held for each county, with results visible during the live broadcast. Following the lottery, the OMC will notify selected applicants and publish the winning lottery numbers on its website.
The county-specific license availability is as follows:
- New Castle County: 7 licenses, 210 eligible applications
- Kent County: 3 licenses, 151 eligible applications
- Sussex County: 5 licenses, 168 eligible applications
Selected applicants will proceed to the Supplemental Application Process, working toward a Conditional License. However, an Active License—allowing business operations—will only be issued once all regulatory requirements are met. Importantly, Conditional Licenses cannot be sold, although Active Licenses may be transferred for a fee.
The OMC emphasized its commitment to transparency and integrity in this process, in accordance with the Marijuana Control Act. The office encourages all participants to follow the live broadcast and await official communication regarding lottery results.
With the goal of fostering a regulated and sustainable marijuana industry, the OMC looks forward to collaborating with successful applicants as Delaware takes another step toward expanding its retail marijuana market.
