Maryland court: Medical marijuana licensing process to continue

The Maryland Court of Appeals put a stop to a scheduled legal hearing Friday regarding a lawsuit attempting to overturn provisional medical cannabis cultivation licensing.

The end result: The state’s oft-delayed MMJ program will move forward as planned. For now.

The order from the Court of Appeals put a stay on a prior order from the Baltimore Circuit Court, which last week issued a temporary restraining order that prevented the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing final cultivation permits to license winners, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The order from the Appeals Court halts Alternative Medicine Maryland’s lawsuit “until further notice,” according to the Sun.

The suit was to be revisited during a circuit court hearing Friday. The appellate court order overturned that hearing, however, so the commission now can continue issuing final permits to the 15 growers that won provisional licenses last year. So far, only one final cultivation permit has been issued.

The next steps in the case are unclear, the Sun reported, and further legal challenges “could put the industry on hold in the future.”