Another Lawsuit Over MMJ Licensing Process in Illinois

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A company that got turned down for one of the Illinois’ 21 medical marijuana cultivation licenses has filed suit, claiming that the state’s Department of Agriculture didn’t adhere to selection process rules.

The would-be cultivator, PM Rx, told an Illinois TV station that “scoring procedures weren’t followed and background checks weren’t completed.” The company that won the license in the district that PM Rx applied for is Cresco Labs.

The lawsuit asks Cook County Circuit Court for an injunction to halt the license, and wants the applications rescored.

It’s not the first fight over Illinois’ selection process: Earlier this month, another cultivation applicant that didn’t receive a license asked the state attorney general’s office to intervene and revoke the cultivation license of its competitor.

Gov. Bruce Rauner issued business licenses shortly after taking office earlier this year, but he did so before mandatory background checks were completed through the FBI’s criminal database.