Maryland’s medical marijuana is expected to bring big opportunity for the state. But in the early stages, there are only so many licenses to go around. One company that is run by a Maryland entrepreneur and has investment from a former Ravens player ended up off the list. On Tuesday, they filed a lawsuit claiming the process was unfair.
GTI Maryland, which is looking to grow marijuana in Washington County, put out a statement saying they were in position to be one of the 15 growers recommended for a license following a 5-0 vote of the commission. But between July 27 and 29, they claim the vote was changed.
“GTI asks for full disclosure and transparency from the Commission’s subcommittee about why, within 48 hours, 4 of 5 members abandoned their unanimous acceptance of the merits-only list of 15 and instead substituted two lesser-ranked applicants,” said Lanny Davis, partner at Davis Goldberg & Galper in Washington, D.C. He was a former White House Special Counsel to Bill Clinton.
GTI said they were told that “geographic diversity” was the reason for the switch. It was the third-ranked company for Washington County, and other companies with operations in Worcester and Prince George’s counties ended up ranked ahead of them. GTI said they were told last year that geographic concentration would not be an issue.
GTI, short for Green Thumb Industries, was founded in Chicago and also operates in Nevada and Massachusetts. Sterling Crockett Sr., former head of the Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company, is the general manager of the Maryland offshoot. Former Ravens lineman Eugene Monroe is also an investor.
