When Delaware’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened its doors in Wilmington in 2015, the numbers were promising. First State Compassion (FSC) was serving 250 patients monthly, dispensing a small selection of medical products and growing proprietary cannabis strains in 15 cultivation rooms. Today, with the addition of a second medical marijuana dispensary in Lewes in 2017, those numbers are closer to 9,000 patients each month, a large variety of products, and “we need more space.”

The biggest change, though, has been to the stigma often associated with cannabis. Statewide, patients and doctors alike have started to understand and appreciate the life-changing benefits medical marijuana brings to the pain and suffering of conditions like cancer, arthritis, PTSD and epilepsy. Tours of our locations by members of the local medical community have caused changes in philosophy about alternative treatment options like medical marijuana.

We’re all about The Patient Experience. Starting with Orientation, where new patients meet their personal Patient Advisor, to the 4-Day Follow-Up Program, a courtesy call to ensure there are no unanswered questions, to the in-store guidance and selection of the most appropriate medication — building trusted relationships is at the foundation. And the patient posts on FSC’s Facebook page attest to the renewed quality of life being enjoyed once our patients are finally able to treat and manage the distress of their qualifying conditions:

So, what’s next?

As pioneers of the medical marijuana industry in Delaware, we continue to offer the largest product selection of quality medicine competitively priced. Our spirit of innovation has never wavered and, in fact, pushes us to continually upgrade our services:

• We are increasing the growing capabilities of our Wilmington location to meet demand and to coincide with the expansion of our grow services in Sussex County for our Lewes Center.
• Edibles are waiting on the back burner: should Delaware legalize their sale and use, we stand ready to meet the needs of our patients. Until then, our Patient Advisors can only guide patients on how to incorporate medical marijuana into food and drinks in order to create their own edibles.
• Following our mission to continually educate the community about the facts of medical marijuana, product pricing will soon be available on the FSC website.

In addition to putting our patients first, another core value is our commitment to educating consumers and the medical community about the benefits of medical marijuana in relieving pain and alleviating suffering.

So, for more information, visit our website, Facebook page or call us.