Medical marijuana patients protest against dispensaries

Medical marijuana patients from across Sussex County protested outside Columbia Care’s Rehoboth Beach pharmacy on April 24.

Frankford’s Lillyanne Ternahan is the patient who organized the protest.

“We’re here to raise awareness and get the word out,” said Ternahan, pausing from shouting organized chants into a bright green megaphone adorned with a marijuana leaf sticker. “When these people first opened, I was excited about the options available, but they’re always understaffed and the prices are too high. The price cut is appalling. “

Ternahan said patients are legally allowed to buy three ounces at a time; However, online menus for the three operational vendors show that only small quantities of cannabis are available at prices well above the price of medical cannabis in constitutional states like Colorado.

These protesters are not the first medical marijuana advocates to call for a boycott of state medical marijuana dispensaries.

In an April 7 press release, Laura Sharer, NORML Delaware General Manager and Registered Patient, said, “It is despicable that these companies, which are already benefiting from patients and our advocacy, would fight against our voluntary efforts to fully legalize cannabis. ”NORML is the national marijuana law reform organization.

Zoë Patchell, executive director of the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network, said the market belongs to longtime consumers, patients and activists who create demand, drive reform efforts and pay prices in pharmacies.

“Cannabis is more than a market – cannabis is a community. These companies have no idea that we will buy cannabis from a company that has a proven track record of making profits for patients, ”Patchell said. “And now they seem poised to put the lives and freedom of consumers at risk just to get an unfair advantage in the industry.”

In an email on April 26, Columbia Care’s vice president of public order, Ngiste Abebe said Columbia Care had been working closely with stakeholders to drive legalization across the country. Delawareans have waited too long for legalization and shares patient concerns about improving access to the medical cannabis program in Delaware, she said.

Abebe said that legalizing adult use must ensure that medical patients continue to rely on the life-changing drugs that the state’s six medical cannabis operators provide.

“Medical inclusion in adult use has a direct impact on affordability,” Abede said. “That’s why every state that legalized this year has recognized the importance of including the medical program in every framework for adult use. In addition to providing access to patients, thoughtful medical inclusion can also support social justice and public health priorities. “

House Bill 150 was introduced on March 18th and limits the total number of cannabis licenses issued during the initial implementation process to 125-60 cultivators, 30 manufacturing facilities, 30 retailers and five laboratories. Of these licenses, 77 are awarded in the social justice or micro-license categories. Two years after HB150 came into effect, the license caps would be removed.

Since its inception, the bill has been notified by the House’s Health and Human Development Committee on March 24, and then reassigned to the Budget Committee on March 25. This committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday April 28th, but will be in line with the agenda set out on the general agenda. The bill will not be discussed on the Assembly’s website.

Introduced Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown a change in the invoice On April 22nd, marijuana testing facilities must meet and comply with the requirements of the ISO / IEC 17025 international standard used by laboratories around the world. The amendment has yet to be examined. King is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Unlike other electoral initiative states, the Delaware constitution requires that the bill get a three-fifths majority of the vote in order to pass the General Assembly.