Columbia Care opens third Delaware location in Rehoboth

It’s been a busy few weeks in Delaware for medical marijuana provider Columbia Care. In less than a month, the New York-based company has gone from one dispensary in Smyrna to having a dispensary in all three counties.

Its most recent opening took place Oct. 25 in the Tanger Outlets Bayside, off Route 1, in Rehoboth Beach.

During a recent tour of Rehoboth’s first dispensary, George DeNardo, Columbia Care vice president of Mid-Atlantic operations, said the goal all along has been to have one in all three counties.

“This is just another step,” he said.

First State Compassion Center was Delaware’s first state-licensed dispensary, but Columbia Care is the first company to have a dispensary in all three counties. A couple of weeks ago the company opened its second in Newark. The first was in Smyrna.

DeNardo said in addition to opening more dispensaries, Columbia Care is also increasing its growing operation, which he said will be three times its current size. That will allow the company to meet growing demands with more options – flower, topicals, tinctures and tablets.

DeNardo said he thinks the Tanger Outlets site offers patients a centralized location to get their medicine. He said he recognizes possible safety concerns, which is why there are 50 security cameras inside and outside of the dispensary.

The dispensary’s windows are smoked out and there are security cameras monitoring every angle of the exterior, but the interior has a natural vibe to it – muted paint tones, lots of wood and low lighting. DeNardo said all of the company’s dispensaries throughout the country have the same interior design. He said some patients have high anxiety or PTSD, so the company doesn’t want to exacerbate those symptoms with bright lights and colors.

There’s almost no noticeable smell of the marijuana-based products in the dispensary. DeNardo said there’s a high-tech charcoal-based filtering system, and all the products are prepackaged off-sight.

During the tour, Sharice Ward, Columbia Care Delaware general manager, quickly walked through the patient experience, which begins with pushing the door bell on the entrance facing Route 1. A voice comes over the speaker and asks for the person out front to show their state-issued medical marijuana card to the video screen above the doorbell. Once inside the front door, the patient enters a small room with another locked door leading to the retail location. Patients give the front desk attendant, who is behind a glass wall, their card and, the first time, their driver’s license. The attendant confirms all the documents are up to date and that the patient still has the ability to purchase medicine – there’s a 6-ounce-per-month limit per patient in Delaware. If everything checks out, the attendant unlocks the door and the patient can proceed to purchasing their medicine.

Ward said if it’s a patient’s first time with Columbia Care, there is staff on hand to walk them through the choices.

DeNardo said all the company’s budtenders have been trained to give advice on what types of medicine work for what type of ailment. He said some of the strains have high THC, the psychoactive drug in marijuana, others have higher CBD counts, a cannabinoid said to help with certain ailments without psychoactive effects, while others have a combination of both. 

DeNardo said Columbia Care will soon be offering pediatric oils. He said the number of pediatric patients in Delaware is small, but it’s important to offer medicine for all patients. According to Delaware Department of Health and Social Services statistics, as of Oct. 21, there were 24 pediatric patients statewide, with 17 of them living in New Castle County.

So far, Ward said Columbia Care’s Tanger Outlets neighbors have been receptive to the new dispensary. She said during a store manager meeting last month, the outlets announced Columbia Care would be coming, and the response was positive.

DeNardo said Tanger Outlets’ willingness to allow the dispensary shows the medicine is becoming more mainstream as an accepted medicinal option. It’s a step in the right direction, he said.

Columbia Care, 36725 Bayside Outlet Dr. in Rehoboth, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information call 302-212-0033 or go to col-care.com/location/rehoboth-beach.