Salt Lake City • Utah’s decision to award a smaller number of medical marijuana grower licenses than allowed by law is being challenged by six companies that say the state granted licenses to unqualified cultivators and had inappropriate interactions with applicants, among other claims.
Chris Hughes, director of the state's Division of Purchasing, confirmed that six rejected applicants met Friday's appeal deadline.
The administrative appeal could further delay the rollout of medical marijuana for the state because state law says licenses cannot be finalized until protests are resolved.
Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food selected eight companies to grow medical marijuana for its program set to open next year.