JLPR Inc., a Utah company that was rejected for a medical marijuana cultivate license in the state, has filed a lawsuit over the system.
The company filed the lawsuit earlier this month against Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food, including former agency officials involved in the medical cannabis program, state purchasing officials and even rival companies.
“The corruption and other problems in the selection and agency appeal process were a gross violation of JLPR’s due process and equal protection rights,” the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court, reads.
It was in 2019 that the UDAF had 10 cannabis cultivation licenses to offer. It only issued eight.
The lawsuit accuses UDAF officials of improperly influencing the bid process for a coveted cultivation license and alleges that the process was rushed, requirements were changed to favor certain companies over others, and there were conflicts of interest in license evaluators and improper communication between state agriculture officials and the companies seeking a license.
“A bias toward out-of-state applicants is obvious on the face of the selection,” JLPR attorney Jason Kerr said in the suit.
“We do not have any comment at this time as we have not received nor been able to review these complaints,” Utah agriculture commissioner Craig Buttars said in a statement to FOX 13 on Tuesday.
The lawsuit asks a federal judge to grant JLPR a license or order the state to not renew any other company’s license until they get one.
