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Marijuana board holds off on deadline for dispensaries that want to become legal

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The state’s medical marijuana board could soon shut down a dispensary near you.

The board will start issuing licenses to dispensaries in December. But two members wants existing dispensaries to close in mid-September to be considered for a license.

Board chairman Rick Johnson says he wants to do what is best for patients, but these dispensaries should close. 

“If we don’t do this today we’re going to do this somewhere in the future. Because it needs to be done.”

Patients, like Mark Gibson, say this will hurt their ability to get medication they need.

“It’s not right to ask someone who’s been a medical patient for years to all of a sudden complicate their lives so much that they may not be able to get effective treatment.”

Board Member Donald Bailey wanted to give dispensaries until mid-September.

“For those that are getting into the business or anticipate getting into the business, it’s a matter of fundamental fairness that everybody starts the race on the start line and nobody has a 40-yard advance.”

But dispensary operators – and their customers – object to the move