DEWEY BEACH, Del. -- Town officials in Dewey Beach are planning to discuss and possibly vote to expressly prohibit the production and sale of marijuana and other marijuana related business activities in their council meeting on Friday.
Marijuana was legalized in Delaware in April 2023 after several previous rejections from Gov. John Carney.
Dewey Beach is not the first municipality to consider restrictions on marijuana despite its legality. Ocean City, Md. councilmembers recently voted unanimously voted to advance the ban of on-site cannabis consumption. The ban will ensure cannabis products are not sold or consumed in establishments or businesses across the resort town.
If the ordinance passes, Dewey Beach will have similar restrictions.
"It's part of the business license process," says Commissioner Paul Bauer. "Although it's legal and you can get it, do we want to have that in town? We have the ability to say you can't grow and you can't sell it here."
Bauer says the Mayor and commissioners are taking the town's image and family-friendly character into great consideration.
"We want something for everybody," says Bauer. "We want to be inclusive for everybody and part of being family friendly is you want to have activities and the type of retail that supports that kind of community."
Some neighbors and beachgoers are in full agreeance with the ban. Neighbor Ellen McGuinness says allowing businesses to sell it in town will only add to her concerns about alcohol use and safety there.
"Safety is a big thing, so if people are already walking and drinking more than they should and maybe bringing their recreational drugs from home, I don't see the need for them to have a place to buy more once they're already here," says McGuinness.
However, neighbor David Vogt says the ban is unnecessary and detrimental to businesses.
"They will get it outside of Dewey Beach," says Vogt. "They'll be able to bring it in anyway, so why prohibit a business from earning money from doing that. Like I said, I don't think we will do it, but I just don't think it's a good decision."
Commissioners will meet at 3pm on Friday at the Dewey Beach Life Saving Station.