The cannabis dispensaries operating now are owned by multi-state corporations, such as Curaleaf, that are heavily invested in the nation’s growing marijuana industry. Mom-and-pop shops barely stand a chance in the current environment, according to accountant Todd Polyniak. He says real estate and start-up capital are the biggest obstacles, and the state needs to help out, especially for social equity applicants.
“It takes money to make money, and a lot of those folks in those categories just don’t have the money to get things going,” Polyniak said.
Rasean Morrison is one of those folks. His application was fast-tracked to conditional approval. Unlike many other aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs, he found a location to operate. But he has been unable to find enough investors, and he worries time is running out on his conditional approval.
“A lot of people are just waiting for people like myself to just die out so that they can just hop in. It’s very predatory right now,” Morrison said.