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The prospective owner of a cannabis shop in the northeast was pleasantly surprised to see his SDAB merit hearing rescheduled to nearly two months earlier.

“I feel very good about that; just having to wait until (the previously scheduled date in) February without any appeal was unfair,” said the man, who didn’t want to provide his name.

“For a lot of businesses, it (the wait) would just kill it,” he said. “It’s already cost me a lot of money.”

The owner has been paying $5,000 a month for leased space he’s been unable to use while he awaits the results of an appeal which he says was randomly filed by someone who lives outside the store location’s community.

Appeals can be launched by anyone willing to pay a $100 fee.

The businessman said he’d written to city officials questioning why his case couldn’t be heard at an earlier date.

Another prospective store co-owner said he’s been frustrated by the appeal and approvals process for his shop to be located in the city’s northwest.

“There’s nothing we can do now; it’s just a waiting game,” said the man, who also didn’t want his name published.

“We really don’t know what the criteria is for our appeal.”

If he overcomes the appeal, which was filed by a nearby competitor, the businessman said he might then be faced by a shortage of legal cannabis that’s plagued much of the country.