OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
JUNE 30, 2023
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
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Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em? Not so fast Cannabis consumption still must abide by certain rules
HUNTER HINE/OCEAN CITY TODAY
ISLAND IN THE SUN
A developing island in Isle of Wight Bay provides refuge for boaters and sunbathers who seek a break from the crowds. Shoals and islands near the Route 50 bridge rise, recede and drift according to the dictates of the powerful tidal currents that flow under the bridge to and from Ocean City Inlet.
Hopefully, ka-boom! After three dud years, Ocean City expects powerful Fourth of July fireworks displays By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (June 30, 2023) The last time the Town of Ocean City was able to go all out for Fourth of July fireworks, the world was a different place. It was 2019, the pandemic had yet to exist, and nearly 300,000 people gathered on July 4 to watch the night sky light up in celebration of America’s independence both downtown on the beach and uptown at Northside Park. In 2020, covid hit, jumpstarting a string of unrelated incidents that re-
sulted in the cancelation of every one of the resort’s large annual fireworks shows for three years straight. But now, with July 4, 2023, just days away, city officials are hoping to bounce back with a literal bang with a fresh contract, some new parameters, and a host of precautions and preparations for shows both uptown and downtown. “Covid was such a game changer in a lot of ways, and it’s unfortunate how it’s all worked out,” Ocean City Special Events Director Frank Miller said this week. “But I think we’re fi-
nally getting the gears synchronized again, so to speak, when it comes to being able to work with a fireworks provider.” Last fall, city officials signed a three-year contact with Pennsylvania-based Celebration Fireworks to host shows annually on July 4 on the beach near the inlet downtown and Northside Park uptown, as well as on New Year’s Eve at the beach. The contract was strategically bid out with elements to ensure that the shows would go on. See FIREWORKS Page 3
By Hunter Hine Staff Writer (June 30, 2023) Fireworks won’t be the only thing burning this Fourth of July, because recreational cannabis becomes legal starting on Saturday, and the two local dispensaries are opening to all customers 21 and older. Hi Tide Dispensary, a vendor of medical “You are not cannabis lo- allowed to smoke cated off Route cannabis in the 611 in West designated Ocean City, smoking areas made a Facebook post on located on the June 23 saying Boardwalk and that customers beach.” must bring a Ashley Miller valid driver’s license, governOCPD ment ID or passport to purchase recreational cannabis at Hi Tide after July 1. The next day, its Facebook posted a disclaimer telling medical cannabis patients to stock up before July 1, because dispensary operators anticipate long lines. On Wednesday morning, Hi Tide made another post, this time telling customers that Facebook is constantly sending them warnings, and that if information on the page isn’t up to date, the dispensary’s profile might have been suspended or shut down. Hi Tide could not be reached after several contact attempts. Positive Energy, another medical cannabis dispensary on Route 50 in West Ocean City said on its website that it too will be able to sell recreSee CANNABIS Page 10