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Marijuana business owners gather in Dover to press state to open weed businesses

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Marijuana business owners gather in Dover to press state to open weed businesses


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Marijuana business owners, users and advocates from around Delaware gathered in Dover on Tuesday morning to push the state government to allow businesses to open nearly two years after recreational weed was legalized.

More than 40 people organized by the Delaware Cannabis Industry Association stood outside Legislative Hall holding signs and listening to speeches. They said the state is allowing unsafe and unregulated marijuana to be purchased and used while a regulated statewide industry sits in limbo. Recreational, adult-use marijuana was legalized in 2023, but businesses have yet to open their doors.

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All licenses have been handed out for now through lotteries. Now, background checks on all of the winners, including the seven licenses allowing for conversion from medical to recreational marijuana, are being done. According to the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner, the fingerprinting authorizations from Delaware State Police through the State Bureau of Investigation still need approval from the FBI. Those fingerprints are part of the required criminal background check performed on everyone awarded a license.

Any lottery winners who pass the current background checks will be given a conditional license. If they cannot become fully operational within 18 months, the license is likely to be rescinded. If they become operational, they are awarded an active license and can continue.

But, patience is wearing thin for business owners who want to get the industry up and running. James Brobyn, CEO of marijuana business American Fiber Co., called on Gov. Matt Meyer to either empower current acting Commissioner Paul Hyland or choose another commissioner. Rob Coupe, the state’s first commissioner, stepped down before Meyer took office.

“That’s literally the the legal hurdle that has to happen to just turn the switch on,” Brobyn said outside of Legislative Hall.

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A spokeswoman for Meyer’s office said the governor understands the urgency of nominating the next marijuana commissioner and that Meyer has been a supporter of recreational and medical marijuana.

“It’s critical we select the best person to lead the state’s program,” the spokeswoman for Meyer said. “Not only for those looking to open businesses in Delaware, but for communities that have long been victims of war on drugs and medical patients forced to live in the shadows for decades. We can and will do better in Delaware to ensure we have an equitable and thriving marijuana industry.”

Originally, the plan to open marijuana retail in Delaware was spring 2025. That time has come, and businesses have not been opened or converted. The OMC said the decision to open the existing medical businesses who applied for conversion licenses ahead of the lottery winners will be up to whoever is the next commissioner.

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County and city-level zoning stifles business owners

State law allows counties to regulate the recreational marijuana industry however they want without banning it. New Castle and Sussex counties have approved additional buffer zones around churches, schools and residences on top of existing state-required barriers for businesses. Municipalities can outright ban it, and many towns at the beaches have done so.

In Sussex County, 3-mile buffer zones around municipality borders, churches and schools and more have choked off marijuana businesses to a point where they cannot confidently operate in the few places in the county available.

Jen Stark, owner and director of processing at The Farm medical marijuana dispensary in Felton and New Castle, lives in Bridgeville and cannot open inside or outside of its municipal borders.

“All they have in Sussex for retail is a piece of paper; it means nothing,” she said.

Louise Shelton of New Castle was awarded a social equity cultivation license in New Castle County. She said finding a location in the county to operate is her biggest challenge. She is new to the industry and wanted to grow the plant because it has had positive effects on her family members, she said. Now, she cannot get anyone in commercial real estate to help her find a location.

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“We’re just kind of at a stalemate right now,” Shelton said in Dover on Tuesday. “How do you give us licenses if you’re not going to take care of the zoning?”

Shelton also has a social equity cultivation license in Sussex County, where she said it has been frustrating. She said the main complaints have been about the smell and use of marijuana, despite her business just growing the plant itself.

“Just because weed is recreational doesn’t mean we can just walk down the street smoking it,” Shelton said. “We know the laws and will abide by them.”

Stark looked at Kent County’s regulations as a model for what the rest of the state should look like. Kent County is regulating where businesses can operate, similar to liquor and tobacco businesses. Stark hopes the Legislature will take another look at the zoning restrictions allowed by state law.

“I really hope that they can write legislation and get it passed through the House and Senate; otherwise, it’s just going to be crippling to the industry,” she said.

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Social equity license winners run into same problems as open retail

Social equity licenses were intended to give areas disproportionately affected by past drug-related enforcement and individuals with past marijuana convictions a chance to get in on the industry. Social equity applications came at a discounted rate of $1,000. Open applications cost $5,000 and micro-level applications cost $3,000.

Conversion licenses were awarded at $200,000 for cultivation and $100,000 for retail and manufacturing. The state made $4 million from them, which helps to fund social equity grants for business owners.

Darnell Martin of Wilmington said he plans to be in the next lottery for a social equity license. He said local governments are treating the recreational marijuana industry unfairly.

The Wilmington City Council recently passed a three-month pause on marijuana business licenses in the city while they figure out the proper zoning around the businesses. Martin said they should have it figured out because people have smoked marijuana for decades.

“They are treating it like it’s the zombie apocalypse,” he said.

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Shane Brennan covers New Castle County with a focus on Newark and surrounding communities. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com. Follow @shanebrennan36 on X, formerly Twitter.



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Delaware Department of Technology & Information implements CloudNuro SaaS Management Platform

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Delaware Department of Technology & Information implements CloudNuro SaaS Management Platform


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Distributed by EIN Presswire

Delaware Department of Technology & Information implements CloudNuro to improve its SaaS (Salesforce) governance, cost allocation, and chargeback automation.

State and government organizations face growing pressure to improve transparency and maximize budgets. Delaware is taking a forward-looking, data-driven approach to drive long-term efficiency.”
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— Pratul Patel, Chief Product Officer, CloudNuro

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, January 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — CloudNuro, the leader in the Public Sector, State and Local Government for the enterprise SaaS, Cloud, and AI governance, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the State of Delaware Department of Technology & Information (DTI) to modernize and unify Salesforce management across the state agencies.

Under this initiative, CloudNuro will deliver a comprehensive SaaS governance using the FinOps Foundation framework – FinOps-for-SaaS for Salesforce license visibility, cost allocation, and chargeback management. The platform will streamline contract ingestion, automate license-to-usage mapping, and support configurable cost models, including markup, license-based allocation, usage-based chargeback, and hybrid structures. The result is a clear, defensible, and auditable view of technology spending across the state environment.

By adopting CloudNuro’s automated workflows and intelligence-driven governance, the State of Delaware is expected to reduce manual administrative effort. The initiative also creates a single source of truth for Salesforce utilization across agencies and departments, strengthening financial oversight and enabling data-driven budgeting.

Key capabilities Delaware will gain include:
• Single-pane-of-glass view of Salesforce subscriptions, usage, users, and costs across the state
• Centralized ingestion of Salesforce contracts, entitlements, and renewals
• Automated mapping of licenses to actual usage patterns
• Configurable chargeback models (license-based, consumption-based, or hybrid)
• Agency-level dashboards for cost transparency and optimization
• Cross-agency visibility into unused, underutilized, or misaligned licenses
• Standardized governance to support audits, procurement workflows and renewal planning

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“We’re proud to support the State of Delaware in bringing financial discipline and transparency to Salesforce governance across agencies,” said Shyam Kumar, CEO of CloudNuro. “This engagement reflects the growing need for accountable, data-driven technology management in the public sector.”

This engagement reflects CloudNuro’s expanding role in supporting public sector digital modernization. By providing automated governance, FinOps-ready cost insights, and seamless alignment with procurement, IT, and finance operations, CloudNuro helps government organizations strengthen accountability, reduce waste, and streamline complex technology environments. The CloudNuro FinOps platform is used by several large public-sector agencies, including Los Angeles Metro, Cook County, DuPage County, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and the City of Aurora.

For public-sector IT leaders, CloudNuro delivers a modernized approach to SaaS and cloud governance – purpose-built for the scale, rigor, and compliance needs of state operations.

About CloudNuro Corp:
CloudNuro is a leader in Enterprise SaaS Management Platforms, giving enterprises and government unmatched visibility, governance, and cost optimization. Recognized twice in a row by Gartner in the SaaS Management Platforms Magic Quadrant and named a Leader in the Info-Tech SoftwareReviews Data Quadrant, CloudNuro is trusted by several public sector and government agencies, including Cook County, DuPage County, City of Aurora, Los Angeles Metro, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, State of Delaware, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

As the only Unified FinOps Platform for the Enterprise, CloudNuro brings AI, SaaS and IaaS management together in a unified view. With a 15-minute setup and measurable results in under 24 hours, CloudNuro gives IT teams a fast path to value.
For more information, visit www.cloudnuro.ai.

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Media Contact
Shyam Kumar
CEO, CloudNuro
📞 +1 630-347-0833
✉️ shyam.kumar@cloudnuro.com
🌐 www.cloudnuro.ai

Shyam Kumar
CloudNuro Corp
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Delaware County’s 250th events aim to boost local economy

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Delaware County’s 250th events aim to boost local economy


Delaware County is gearing up for a year-long celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, bringing together community partners for a series of events and programs. 

Delaware County’s plans for the semiquincentennial 

The Delaware County America 250 Commission hosted a “We the People” party to unveil plans for the upcoming celebrations. 

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The events aim to educate and connect the local community while drawing visitors from outside Philadelphia to explore the area’s rich history. 

What they’re saying:

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“Delaware County is not just watching from the sidelines, we are proud to be an essential part of a massive regional and national celebration,” said Christine Reuther, Delaware County Council Vice Chair. 

Andrea Silva, director of the Delaware County America 250 Commission, highlighted the diverse themes that will be showcased throughout the year. 

Celebrating 250 years of history 

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The backstory:

Friday’s event celebrated Delaware County’s 250-year history, with different tables reflecting various themes. 

Attendees included Colonial Farmstead, Penn’s Woods Winery, and Pathways to Freedom. 

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The programming will feature over 100 events, including the Battle for Independence: Amazing Race to Brandywine and the Irish America 250 Kick Off on Jan. 14. 

The celebrations are expected to leave a lasting legacy, with hopes of boosting the local economy. 

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“We want to see real economic impact for our local businesses as visitors from around the world come to shop on our main streets and stay in our towns and eat in our restaurants,” said Reuther. 

What’s next:

This year’s county event specifics can be found here.

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The Source: Information from the Delaware County America 250 Commission.

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Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old

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Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old


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A 19-year-old man was shot dead in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood in the early hours of Jan. 9, police said.

Wilmington officers arriving to the 200 block of S. Claymont St. about 3:30 a.m. found the teen there.

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The teen, whom police have not named, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about this shooting should contact Wilmington Police Detective Derek Haines at (302) 576-3656. People can also provide information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com.

Violence by the numbers

This is the first homicide reported this year in Delaware, which last year saw a slight drop in all violent killings.

Delaware police reported 52 people being killed in violent crimes in 2025, a drop of nearly 12% when compared with 59 people killed in 2024, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal database.

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While the number of people killed in homicides statewide is down, the number of people killed by gunfire in Delaware was up in 2025 for the third year in a row.

According to the Delaware Online database, 47 were shot dead in Delaware last year. That was one more victim (46) than in 2024, three more (44) than in 2023 and nine more (38) than in 2022.

Despite the increase in gun-related deaths, there were fewer people shot last year in Delaware for the second year in a row.

Police reported 164 people being shot last year in Delaware. The previous year saw 195 people shot and police reported 210 people being shot in 2023.

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This was the fewest people shot in Delaware since 2018, when police reported 146 people being shot statewide.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.



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