Lawsuit Challenges Ohio Marijuana Program

A company that wasn’t chosen among the dozen big medical marijuana growers in Ohio’s new programming is challenging the state requirement that 15 percent of those licenses go to minority-owned groups. The Columbus Dispatch reports the lawsuit filed last month alleges Hilliard-based Pharmacann Ohio Incorporated was bumped from the list of successful applicants because “an unconstitutional racial quota” elevated companies that scored lower in the bid rankings. Pharmacann is asking a county judge to block the state fro using such quotas to determine licenses. Experts have questioned whether the quota would stand in court.