Riverside licensing reversal angers retailers

Riverside's city council suspended the city's nearly complete dispensary licensing process this month, jeopardizing local investments from some of California's largest retailers.

The move, which owes to the council's concerns about shop locations and other issues, has left retailers fuming as they contemplate what will happen with the 14 city- approved store locations. To reach this point they had to secure properties, which meant signing leases and making additional significant outlays. In at least one case, a dispensary purchased a building.

The shops had expected to open as soon as this . . .