Company files lawsuit after being denied cannabis license in Utah
JLPR had been refused one of the few licenses in the first round.

JLPR Inc., a Utah company that was refused a license to grow medical marijuana in that state, has filed a lawsuit over the system. The company filed the lawsuit against the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food earlier this month, including former agency officials involved in the medical cannabis program, state purchasing officials, and even competing companies. "The corruption and other issues in the agency's selection and appointment process were a gross violation of JLPR's rights to due process and equal protection," said the lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court was filed. In 2019 the UDAF had to issue 10 licenses for growing cannabis. But only eight were awarded. The lawsuit alleges UDAF officials improperly influencing the bidding process for a coveted cultivation license, alleging that the process was rushed, requirements were changed to favor certain companies over others, and there were conflicts of interest among license appraisers and improper communication between states Farm officials and the companies applying for a license. "A bias towards outside of state applicants is evident in the selection process," JLPR attorney Jason Kerr said in the lawsuit. "We have no comment at this point as we have neither received nor verified these complaints," Utah Agriculture Commissioner Craig Buttars said in a statement to FOX 13 on Tuesday. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to license JLPR or order the state not to renew another company's license until they get one.





