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If you’re considering a leap into the medical marijuana industry, don’t expect to get rich. In fact, CNNMoney asks, “Where are all the marijuana millionaires?” Many dispensaries are mired in new fees, not to mention incredible risks—held hostage by the whims of politicians and other officials. Some shops are simply trying to earn back their initial investments. One dispensary owner at Abundant Healing in Fort Collins, which claims 300 patients, says he made more money as a construction worker.
As if to punctuate the point, Westword highlights the “ongoing bureaucratic battle over medical marijuana,” specifically in Castle Rock, where the last dispensary in Douglas County is fighting to survive. Officials suspect some Colorado dispensaries are operating illegally, but that may not be possible too much longer, as increasing amounts of red tape go up at state and local levels (7News). Adding to it is a recent state Board of Health decision to ban mobile medical marijuana dispensaries (Longmont Daily Times-Call).