EL RENO, Okla. (KFOR) – A dispute between the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary and her former employees is escalating after they say she owes them more than $4,000 in back pay.

“It’s frustrating, and especially during this time because she knows how critical it is to find work, to provide for your family,” said former employee Josefina Sandoval.

Sandoval said just a few months after she was hired at Kush Konnexions in El Reno, her boss stopped paying her. Sandoval said the owner, Latosha Richey, now owes her $1,800 and has only made excuses as to why she hasn’t been paid.

“Finally, we got up to three checks, and I had told her that I can no longer work without compensation, and she fired me,” Sandoval said.

She’s not alone. Two other former employees said Richey owes them money as well.

One didn’t want to go on camera for fear of retaliation.

The other said the money issue wasn’t the reason he finally quit.

“No,” said former employee Alex Quiroz. “I quit because of her unprofessionalism. She cussed employees out in front of customers. That’s not how you run a business.”

That’s a claim made by more than one former worker.

“She would scream and yell at you. She would do it out in front of customers, out in the dispensary,” said former employee Nathaniel Beaty.

Even marijuana growers have taken to social media to complain she owes them money as well.

Richey declined to comment on camera, but told KFOR she only owes Sandoval one paycheck.

She also claimed she made a report to the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office regarding a blackmail attempt by Sandoval, but deputies said no report has been made.

“I’m highly disappointed,” Sandoval said. “Basically, because this is such a new industry and I feel like people who do things like this are giving the industry a bad name.”