A Cincinnati company denied a medical marijuana cultivation license is calling on a judge to get involved in the selection process. This in the wake of recent concerns by Ohio Auditor Dave Yost that some scores may have been changed.
CannAscend is based in Cincinnati and had plans to grow medical marijuana in Wilmington. Ian James, speaking for business partner Jimmy Gould, says, "What the Auditor's report and subsequent media reporting have shown is that the state has arbitrarily and capriciously picked the winners and losers of the licensing process."
CannAscend will include those reports as part of a lawsuit it files this month in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. James is hopeful the court will order the process to be thoroughly reviewed.
"What is becoming very clear is that there are serious and critical flaws in the system, enough that the court could rule that the system needs to be suspended, results thrown-out and a new application process be undertaken under court review," he says.
"Whether or not CannAscend gets a license," he emphasizes, "patients need and deserve the compassionate care that marijuana provides. It is incredibly sad that some in state government rigged the system."
The Department of Commerce told Yost it has implemented changes and is doing a full internal review. It pointed WVXU to its website which explains why the department believes the selection process is fair.
