The city of Boulder has sent six cease-and-desist letters to medical marijuana businesses after finding problems with their business license applications, and two more will be sent soon. The city of Boulder has sent six cease-and-desist letters to medical marijuana businesses after finding problems with their business license applications, and two more will be sent soon.

The letters, all sent in the first two weeks of March, went to High Grade Alternatives, 8th Street Care Center, Southwest Alternative Care, Timberline Herbal Clinic, Mountain Medicine Group and Fresh Baked Dispensary, city spokeswoman Sarah Huntley said.

Huntley declined to name the other two dispensaries because the owners had not yet seen the letters.

Mountain Medicine Group's application was denied because of zoning issues. The other five were turned down because of problems that came up on background checks of principal investors or general managers of the companies, Huntley said. She declined to specify the problems, citing privacy concerns.

City ordinance says that anyone with at least a 10 percent stake in a marijuana business must submit to a background check. Anyone convicted of a felony in the last five years cannot operate a medical marijuana business. The city application asks for information about felony convictions in the last 10 years, DUI convictions and any misdemeanors related to abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Owners of the dispensaries could not be reached late Tuesday.