Sybert: Towns considering marijuana industry bans fail to see fiscal benefits

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Towns such as Millsboro, Milford and Ocean View, which are considering retail cannabis bans, are not seeing the economic benefits. Having a dispensary can increase the town’s overall value, attracting all facets of this new industry. With cultivation, processing, packaging and testing, a Sussex County town could become a hub for innovation. A municipality could be the first to set regional benchmarks. New licensees attract investment, talent and media exposure. A late arrival will have difficulty in establishing their unique brand. Having a dispensary in Millsboro, for example, would capture a market currently run by the illicit market. Towns with dispensaries capture 80% of the cannabis sales market. It’s been shown also that cannabis purchasers will travel 15 minutes to get their product, even from the illicit market.

Access to a legal cannabis dispensary has been shown to reduce opioid dependence, as well as deaths associated with them. According to The British Medical Journal, when the number of dispensaries increases from one to two, there is a 17% reduction in opioid-related issues.

What kind of municipalities do we want to leave to the next generation? Do we want to discourage economic growth? We need to encourage regulations to manage the time, place and manner of these businesses, instead of outward bans. Receiving a percentage of the sales tax could fund much-needed infrastructure repairs and establish youth grants. The next generation deserves an unencumbered market, and the majority of Delawareans agrees.

Stop the bans.

John Sybert

Vice president, Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network

Dover

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.

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