Only 23 of a maximum 36 dispensaries have been approved, more than seven years after the city legalized them, and only 21 of the 23 have opened.
Fitzgerald and industry leaders say more dispensaries haven’t opened primarily because potential sites are nearly impossible to find.
The city is also more restrictive than state law and most other local governments on how far cannabis businesses can be from sensitive uses.
A proposed equity program, which could include loosened regulations, will be presented to the City Council next January, Fitzgerald said.