georgia-appeals-court-will-hear-lawsuit-challenging-medical-marijuana-licensees

A lawsuit in Georgia challenging the issuance of two medical marijuana licenses has made its way to the state’s Court of Appeals.

A group of five medical marijuana companies that weren’t selected for licenses filed the lawsuit, which contends the state’s regulatory agency arbitrarily scored applications for Florida-based multistate operator Trulieve Cannabis and Georgia-based Botanical Sciences, according to Atlanta TV station WAGA.

The lawsuit, filed in April in Fulton County Superior Court, charges the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC) with “conflicts of interest” and “backroom deals” during the licensing process.

Information about winning bids were “redacted and kept secret from losing bidders, the public, and the media,” WAGA reported.

The lawsuit also argues that documents filed for the bidding process should be made public.

Other unsuccessful companies have also filed lawsuits over the licensing process.

The launch of the state’s medical marijuana industry has been in a standstill since lawmakers failed to pass an implementation bill in March.

However, low-THC cannabis oil is permitted for registered MMJ patients in Georgia.