Florida Officials’ Medical Marijuana Business Licensing Decisions Are Being Appealed By Rejected Applicants

“We worked with seven groups to appeal their denial.”

By Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix

Applicants not chosen for new medical marijuana licenses are sending appeals into the Florida Department of Health (DOH).

DOH did not respond to Florida Phoenix’s request for a list of the applicants that sent notices announcing their intent to appeal the decision, either informally at the agency level or formally through the state Division of Administrative Hearings.

But Paula Savchenko, attorney and cannabis industry consultant, told the Florida Phoenix that she has several clients who have notified the state of requests for hearings. Savchenko didn’t reveal which of her clients requested hearings or whether they would be formal or informal.

“We worked with seven groups to appeal their denial,” she said on Tuesday afternoon in a phone call.

Applicants had until Tuesday to put the state on notice of their intent to appeal.

Seventy-four applicants submitted applications for medical marijuana licenses, and at the end of November the state announced its intent to award 22 licenses, meaning 52 applicants were denied.

Savenchko estimated that 75 percent of the rejected applicants, or 39, could challenge the state’s denials.

Florida’s medical marijuana industry is tightly regulated and only those with a license can cultivate, process and sell marijuana.

Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use data show that as of December 6, 890,402 patients had qualified to use medical marijuana and 2,444 physicians qualified to order medical marijuana for those patients.

Savenchko estimates that, based on the number of registered patients, the state would be justified in awarding another two or three licenses on top of the 22 it’s granted.

This story was first published by Florida Phoenix.