Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Maryland’s medical marijuana program has been fighting an uphill battle since day one, facing numerous legal challenges over lack of racial and geographic diversity among licensees. Now, a Baltimore judge has ruled that another case that could disrupt and delay the rollout of the industry should proceed to trial.
The case is being brought by two medical cannabis businesses that were denied licenses despite ranking in the top 15 applicants. State officials awarded these two licenses to lower-ranking businesses in order to increase the geographic diversity of growers in the state.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Maryland Cultivation and Processing and GTI Maryland, argues that the state acted arbitrarily and capriciously when denying them licenses. The companies argue that state regulators never told them that their proposed location would be a determining factor in whether or not they were awarded a license. “All of what was conveyed by the commission was they would pick the best, the cream of the crop,” said Alfred F. Belcuore, attorney for Maryland Cultivation and Processing. “If we would have been asked to move from Frederick County into Prince George’s County,…
