There won’t be any recreational marijuana retail stores opening Wednesday in Aurora, the first day they are allowed to do so.
The city issued 21 marijuana licenses, but of those, only seven owners have submitted building plans for the city to review by the end of Tuesday, Aurora spokeswoman Julie Patterson said. The 14 others have not submitted anything to the city, she said.
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Map: See where the 21 recreational shops are located throughout Aurora
The Denver Post reported Sunday that it was unlikely any of the shops would be open in time for Wednesday’s big day.
Robin Peterson, Aurora marijuana enforcement division manager, said several factors may have led to the underwhelming numbers.
Aside from few submitting plans, a tight time frame also is to blame. The city handed out the licenses at the end of August, giving pot shop owners about a month to file all the paperwork, renovate buildings and secure supply.
Patterson said the city expects a few of the marijuana businesses to open this month.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp