A group of parents of epileptic children called on Commonwealth Court on Thursday to toss out a lawsuit filed by a would-be medical marijuana grower. Calling the suit “speculative, myopic and selfish,” the parents say it threatens their children’s health and could subject caregivers to eventual arrest and criminal charges.
RELATED: Lawsuit to Halt Pennsylvania's Medical Marijuana Program Could Negatively Impact Patients
Keystone ReLeaf LLC, which counts a former mayor of Bethlehem, Pa., as a principal backer, did not win one of 12 permits to grow cannabis that were awarded in June by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The company claims to have suffered “irreparable harm” as a result. In a suit filed in mid-September, Keystone ReLeaf demands that the state shut down Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program, rescind all issued permits, and start from scratch.
On Tuesday, the Department of Health filed to have the suit dismissed, saying Keystone ReLeaf filed an incomplete application, missed the deadline “through the fault of its counsel,” and received a low score. In addition, the department argued that because the company had not applied for a growing permit in all six zones, it did not have standing to stop the program in all six.
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