Sussex’s third compassion center is now open

Sussex County’s much anticipated third medical marijuana dispensary has opened.

Located in Georgetown Plaza off Route 113, Best Buds opened Oct. 28. The new dispensary joins First State Compassion outside Lewes and Columbia Care outside Rehoboth Beach.

Co-owner Aaron Epstein was on hand the day before the opening. People are absolutely looking forward to the opening, he said.

“People have been coming to our door and asking if we’re open all day,” said Epstein.

Compassion center manager Elizabeth Burke has been working on the growing side of the industry for over a decade, beginning as a bud trimmer in northern California. She said she switched to the retail side of the business because there’s an energy when dealing with the patients.

It’s great to see patients be able to get medicine that really does help with their disabilities, said Burke.

Anyone can enter the lobby of the new dispensary, but armed security will be checking for a state-issued medical marijuana card before anyone is allowed to enter the locked doors leading to the store. People without the proper identification will be politely asked to leave, said Epstein.

Once patients get behind the locked doors, Epstein said patients will order their medicine off a menu on a tablet. They will then get a text message when the order has been filled. It will take one to two minutes, he said, adding that ordering is also available online.

The Georgetown dispensary is the second Best Buds in Delaware. The first location is off Route 13 in Dover. For now, Best Buds carries the product of the state’s other growers, but is expected to have its own line of medicine sometime in 2023.

Best Buds, 23 Georgetown Plaza, is open seven days a week – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, go to bestbuds.com, call 302-505-5000 ext. 2 or email georgetown@bestbuds.com.