A Massachusetts judge has sided with a medical cannabis business over the state health department, paving the way for the company to open a trio of dispensaries.
The ruling came after the company, Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts, sued the state, alleging that officials improperly denied the business licenses last June for three dispensaries it planned to open, according to The Boston Globe.
Former congressman William Delahunt used to head the company, and his involvement sparked allegations that the state engaged in favoritism.
The company initially won three provisional licenses and was told by the state that it scored the highest of 100 applicants. But health department officials – under fire for how they handled the licensing process – came back five months later and yanked the initial approval.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Mitchell H. Kaplan sided with the company, however, ruling that the department unjustly reversed its decision after negative publicity regarding the licensing process.
Originally, the dispensaries had been set up to deliver 50% of their revenues to a management firm run by Delahunt and his business partners. The arrangement drew criticism after it was made public, and the number was lowered to 25%. Delahunt resigned in September.
