“It’s clear there were some significant issues with how license applications were evaluated and scored that cast a shadow over the program.”
By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent
Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a scathing report Wednesday on the state’s marijuana program, concluding that missteps in the 2019 licensing process triggered costly litigation and raised persistent questions about whether licenses were awarded fairly.
The nearly three-year audit of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation alleges “perceived and actual deficiencies” in the application scoring process contributed to more than $12.5 million in costs associated with litigation and administrative appeals.
It also raised concerns about the “blind scoring” system used to determine who received lucrative medical marijuana licenses, saying weaknesses in the process make it difficult to verify whether inconsistent results stemmed from error or bias.
“It was a monumental task, and I know it was not easy,” Fitzpatrick said in a press release Wednesday, “but at the same time it’s clear there were some significant issues with how license applications were evaluated and scored that cast a shadow over the program and ultimately cost the state millions of dollars.”
In an equally scathing 23-page response, the division defended its 2019 scoring system and panned Fitzpatrick’s
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