Ask a Stoner: When Will Thornton’s Dispensaries Open?

Dear Stoner: It was announced a while back that four dispensaries were coming to Thornton. Since then, nothing. What’s up with that?
Future Customer

Dear Future Customer: If there’s anything you need to know about legal cannabis, it’s that announcements typically happen months and sometimes years ahead of the ultimate actions they’re announcing. Four dispensaries gained approval from Thornton City Council, but the owners of those stores still need to get various approvals at both the local and state levels to move forward. To be fair, this waiting period isn’t exclusive to the pot industry, and it’s actually moving relatively quickly in Thornton: The four future dispensaries didn’t gain city approval until March or April, and at least three expect to open before 2018.

Green Dragon and Sweet Leaf should be open in a few months, according to employees. Medicine Man plans for a late October or early November debut if nothing unforeseen happens, while Rocky Road has no set date. But in comparison, there are dispensary licenses that were granted in Aurora in 2015 that have yet to manifest into open pot shops.

Have a question for our Stoner? E-mail marijuana@westword.com.