Delaware

Del. moves to kick-start retail weed and give $6.2M to social equity licensees

Published

1 year ago

July 15, 2024

Del. moves to kick-start retail weed and give .2M to social equity licensees

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For the last 15 months, Bill Rohrer has been itching to start growing marijuana to fuel Delaware’s coming recreational market.

Rohrer is a partner in The Farm, a medical cannabis business with two cultivation sites, a facility that makes edibles and other products and retail stores in Felton and New Castle.

But when lawmakers legalized weed in April 2023, they didn’t follow the lead of New Jersey, Maryland and some other states in allowing medical businesses to kick off recreational sales.

“It feeds the illicit market is what it does,’’ Rohrer told WHYY News a year ago as legal users had to continue engaging in illegal activity — buying weed from in-state dealers or transporting it across state lines from legit stores in nearby states.

That’s about to change.

A bill that lawmakers passed in June and Gov. John Carney is expected to sign in the coming weeks lets Delaware’s six medical weed licensees apply for so-called conversion licenses to grow, manufacture, test and sell retail cannabis.

Those licenses will be issued starting in November, allowing Rohrer to start growing weed that he can sell at The Farm’s retail stores, perhaps as early as April 2025, and to others who receive retail licenses.

Bill Rohrer, left, co-owner of The Farm, works with business partner Bill Owens in the cultivation greenhouse. (Courtesy of Bill Rohrer)

Without that bill’s passage, said Marijuana Commissioner Rob Coupe, the start of retail sales would have been delayed until sometime in 2026. Applicants who receive the new cultivation licenses will take up to a year longer to get their operations going, and then to grow crops for retail sale, he said.

Marijuana Commissioner Rob Coupe says the conversion licenses will allow retail sales to start in April. (State of Delaware)

Delaware’s new course “creates a much faster pathway to get the adult-use market operational … to make marijuana legally available for the average citizen to buy,’’ Coupe told WHYY News.

Beyond accelerating what Coupe acknowledges has been a slow, laborious process in creating regulations and a licensing process, allowing conversion licenses could pump up to $4.2 million into a new fund to help so-called social equity applicants, who are slated to receive 47 of the 125 licenses. The $4.2 million would come from application fees for conversion licenses.

Pot brownies come off the conveyor belt at The Farm, which will be applying for a conversion license to manufacture edibles and other marijuana products for retail sale. (Courtesy of Bill Rohrer)

Lawmakers also allocated an additional $2 million into the fund for aspiring social equity cannabis entrepreneurs. To qualify, they must own at least 51% of the business and meet one of these criteria:

Been convicted of a marijuana-related offense, as long as it wasn’t for selling more than 11 pounds or dealing to a minor
Had or has a parent, legal guardian, child, spouse or dependent who was convicted of a marijuana crime
Lived for at least five of the last 10 years in a “disproportionately impacted area.” In essence, that’s a defined census area where marijuana arrests have been high in the last decade. Applicants can see if their address qualifies on the state’s website

The conversion licenses that Roher and other medical licensees sought permission to seek won’t come cheaply.

The cultivation licenses cost $200,000 apiece. To get one for manufacturing, testing or retail, the cost is $100,000.

Rohrer said he appreciates that lawmakers accepted the rationale of the medical licensees this year, and plans to spend up to $800,000 for conversion licenses: two for cultivation, one for manufacturing, two for the existing retail stores, and perhaps one for a new store in Sussex County.

But he says it won’t be an easy proposition in a retail market that faces stiff competition from border states. Medical weed sales in Delaware dropped significantly last year when Maryland opened its retail stores.

Monthly sales by Delaware medical marijuana providers dropped significantly when Maryland opened its retail market last year. (Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner annual report)

“We find ourselves in somewhat of a perplexing situation,” Rohrer said. “We’re excited about the growth, but it’s a very daunting expansion and need for capital investment. So that’s kind of the dilemma that we’re in.”

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Delaware

Search Warrants in Dover Lead to Arrests for Drug and Gun Offenses – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2025

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Search Warrants in Dover Lead to Arrests for Drug and Gun Offenses – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Date Posted: Saturday, December 13th, 2025

The Delaware State Police have arrested 39-year-old Neal Barnes, 52-year-old Anthony James, and 51-year-old Kevin Walker, all from Dover, Delaware, for felony drug and gun charges following three search warrants in Dover.

On December 11, 2025, members of the Kent County Drug Unit executed search warrants at three residences on the 60, 70, and 100 blocks of Vanessa Drive in Dover. The search warrants were obtained following an investigation of Neal Barnes, Anthony James, and Kevin Walker for the distribution of illegal narcotics from their residences. During the search warrants, all three suspects were detained inside their respective homes without incident, and a child was present in Walker’s residence.

During a search of Barnes’ residence, detectives found the following items:

Approximately 2.76 grams of cocaine
Approximately 99.76 grams of crack cocaine
9mm handgun and ammunition
.38 caliber handgun and ammunition
Digital scales
Drug paraphernalia

During a search of James’ residence, detectives found the following items:

Approximately 19.88 grams of crack cocaine
Approximately 52.59 grams of cocaine
Drug paraphernalia
$2,472 in suspected drug proceeds

During a search of Walker’s residence, detectives found the following items:

Approximately .69 grams of heroin
Approximately .35 grams of methamphetamine
Approximately 11.77 grams of crack cocaine
Approximately 31 ecstasy pills
Approximately 14 acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride pills
Approximately 21 buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual films

Barnes was arrested and taken to Troop 3, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $57,000 cash bond.

Neal Barnes

Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm/Destructive Weapon if Previously Convicted of a Violent Felony (Felony) – 3 counts
Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except Human Growth Hormone without a Prescription
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

James was arrested and taken to Troop 3, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $146,000 cash bond.

Anthony James

Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony)
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Walker was arrested and taken to Troop 3, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $39,500 secured bond.

Kevin walker

Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony) – 2 counts
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony) – 2 counts
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Felony) – 2 counts
Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except Human Growth Hormone without a Prescription – 5 counts
Endangering the Welfare of a Child by Committing a Drug Offense with a Child in the Dwelling

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Disclaimer: Any individual charged in this release is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Delaware

PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

Published

13 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Crews and customers across the Delaware Valley are gearing up for the region’s first accumulating snowfall of the season, expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.

PennDOT says it has more than 100,000 tons of salt ready and plans to deploy over 400 trucks across the region for this event.

Road crews began brining operations Friday, which will continue through the weekend with plowing on Sunday.

READ MORE | Accuweather Alert: Light snow to blanket the region Saturday night into Sunday morning

“Maybe 1 to 3, maybe a little bit more depending on how the storm tracks,” said Brad Rudolph of PennDOT.

He added that timing is key with the snow beginning to fall on Saturday night, while many may be out and about, and with thousands expected to travel to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles game against the Raiders.

Preps underway for first snow of the season in Delaware Valley

“People are going to travel, they’re going to need to take it slow. We’re going to push back snow from travel lanes, we’ll make the roads passable. They may not be completely clear of snow and ice, something to consider,” Rudolph said. “We expect this storm to push out relatively early Sunday, well before that Eagles game, but we still might have some cleaning up to do. We’ll be working long after this snow is done.”

At Stanley’s Hardware in Roxborough, workers spent Friday unpacking boxes and moving thousands of pounds of salt and other supplies to fill commercial and individual orders.

“Our aisle is filled right now. We have tons of skids of rock salt, ice melter, shovels,” said Joe Jaconski of Stanley’s Hardware.

Customers were already stocking up.

“We have food, we have shovels, just had to get some salt just to make sure we’re keeping the sidewalks nice and safe for everyone,” said Matt Skomsky of Roxborough.

Customers were steady at Stanley’s Friday, and business is expected to pick up through the weekend, but managers say don’t wait to get ready.

“I recommend just being ahead of it. Try to beat the storm because when the storm comes, it gets very busy in here-the lines wrapped around,” Jaconski said.

PennDOT urges drivers to keep their distance from plow trucks and check the forecast before heading out.

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Delaware

Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

Published

2 days ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

Ellicott Development has expanded it local property portfolio. Ellicott’s 4628 Group Inc. purchased 695 Delaware Avenue on Wednesday for $1.025 million. Fred Kaplan Living Trust was the seller. The 8,454 sq.ft., three-story barn-like structure with mansard roofed addition is occupied by media production and marketing firm Crosswater Digital Media. It was the home of WKBW radio for a number of years. The property totals 0.4 acres in size with a large parking lot fronting Delaware Avenue.

The property is bookended by the Westbrook Apartments and Wilcox House apartment buildings, both ten-story structures. It sits across the street from 700 Delaware, the former Computer Task Group Building Ellicott purchased in 2018 and is now occupied by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.