A group of Cincinnati investors who planned to build a marijuana production facility in Wilmington is vowing to sue the state over the selection process that sent their dreams up in smoke.
The Ohio Commerce Department on Thursday announced it had granted 12 “Level 1” licenses for medical marijuana growers with up to 25,000 square feet of growing space. But the state denied the application of CannAscend Ohio – a local company headed by Jimmy Gould, Bill Brisben and Ian James.
According to the state, CannAscend did not meet the minimum score for a Level 1Â cultivation license based on the assessment of application reviewers.
“The Ohio Department of Commerce conducted a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of all applications,” the agency said in a statement.
Gould, founder of ResponsibleOhio – the group behind Ohio’s failed Issue 3 marijuana initiative in 2015 – claims the more than 100 applications that were submitted were put in hands of just three unqualified application graders and bureaucrats with little or no oversight.
CannAscend had planned to buy about 19 acres near Wilmington Air Park to build a large marijuana farm, but the deal was contingent on the investment group securing one of the 12 licenses.
“This is not sour grapes,” he said. “It’s not about us getting a license. The process is broken, and we will not stop until we get a fair process. It’s time to start the review over with new scores.”
Gould said he and other unsuccessful license applicants will soon file a lawsuit seeking to preserve all records and communications used by the state commerce department to review and score the applications.
Gould said he and his legal team have already reviewed several heavily redacted applications from successful candidates obtained through public records requests and discovered a wide range of flaws, including the failure to submit required forms and shady accounting.
For example, one award winner claimed to have the financing to build-out a marijuana grow operation but was still trying to raise money even after they were granted a license, Gould alleges.
And at least two applicants were awarded licenses based on their racial classification as an economically disadvantaged group to meet an “unconstitutional” license award quota, Gould claims.
credit:cincinnati.com
