RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Some medical cannabis dispensary owners say Rapid City doesn’t need additional dispensaries in the area.

A request from the owner of Black Hills Weed Shop, Michael Graham made a request to the city council to discuss reducing the available dispensary licenses from 15 down to nine.

The letter from Graham claims Rapid City has a “surplus of cannabis dispensaries.”

However, the CEO of Puffy’s Dispensary, Kittrick Jefferies disagrees saying that this is simply an attempt to monopolize the local industry and that reducing the number of licenses would negatively impact patient access.

”What that piece of legislation is trying to do is capitalize on market share by reducing the number of licenses in Rapid City. They don’t want patient access, they want more money for their own pocketbooks,” Jefferies said.

The item was postponed to be discussed at a later date.

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