5 dispensaries close in city within last 12 months
BIG RAPIDS — Five cannabis dispensaries have closed in the city of Big Rapids over the past year, raising questions about whether the city of nearly 9,000 people is an early example of market oversaturation.
City officials have adopted an open policy for cannabis retailers by avoiding capping the number of cannabis businesses that can operate within the city limits. As a result, the number of dispensaries in the city blossomed to as many as 14 retail storefronts since cannabis sales first started in the city in March 2020.
However, the local market has experienced its share of churn.
The latest to exit was Grand Rapids-based, vertically integrated cannabis company Fluresh LLC, which closed a dispensary at 520 S. Third Ave. in Big Rapids earlier this month, only three months after opening. Other dispensaries to close their doors in the city over the past year include Wellflower, Mother Nurtures, KKind and Alluvion Cannabis Co.
Shoran Reid Williams, general counsel and chief regulatory officer at Fluresh, said the decision to shutter the Big Rapids location so quickly stemmed from the local market saturation and several other contributing factors.
“Five other retail locations