CO: 50% Of Medical Marijuana Collectives in Colorado Springs Have Closed

Some call it the “Green Rush,” but like the 19th-century prospectors who inspired the pun, not everyone who flocked to El Paso County’s burgeoning medical-marijuana industry struck it rich.
In fact, most struck out.

Three years after a statewide medical marijuana boom brought scores of dispensaries to Colorado Springs, their ranks here have dwindled by half, city licensing figures show — culled by steep financial barriers, strict regulations at the state and local levels and the standard perils of being a small-business owner.

“If the rules and regulations didn’t get them, piss-poor business planning did,” said K.C. Stark, a former dispensary owner who said he closed up shop in favor of advising those interested in joining the industry.

Figures compiled by the Colorado Springs City Clerk’s Office, which issues local licenses to medical marijuana businesses, show the number of dispensaries has dropped from a high of 169 roughly two years ago to fewer than 80.

Producers of marijuana-infused products, such as edibles, dropped from 70 to 15 during the same period, the city’s figures show.


Source -