New Mexico Whittles Down List of MMJ Producer Applicants

New Mexico’s medical cannabis industry is about to get bigger, though it’s unclear by how much.

The state’s health department has chosen 17 finalists out of 86 applicants for new MMJ producer licenses, according to The Associated Press.

There’s no word yet on how many of those 17 will actually be awarded licenses. But Retta Ward, New Mexico’s secretary of health, is expected to make a decision on the matter within the next 30 days, the AP reported.

At the beginning of the year, there were 24 nonprofit dispensaries and 23 licensed producers in the entire state (licensees are allowed to run more than one dispensary).

Some of the factors that played into officials’ decision when culling the field of applicants included plans for security, production, quality assurance, sales and distribution, and agricultural experience.