Firm lands medical marijuana license after being ‘disqualified’ under Quinn review

SHARE Firm lands medical marijuana license after being ‘disqualified’ under Quinn review
POTDOCS_CST_022315_52782246_999x658.jpg

HealthCentral LLC has been qualified for two downstate dispensary licenses. | AP file photo

A company once seemingly “disqualified” by former Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration in its bid to sell medical marijuana downstate has now been qualified for two dispensary licenses, state officials said.

HealthCentral LLC will next begin the registration process for its dispensaries in Springfield and Collinsville, its attorney said, after an announcement Monday from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Quinn left behind a list of businesses poised to land the coveted licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana without acting on it when his term ended in January, according to records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. But HealthCentral’s two bids for dispensary licenses were labeled as “disqualified” in those records without explanation.

When Gov. Bruce Rauner later began to issue the licenses, HealthCentral’s applications remained under review.

RELATED A new crop: A Sun-Times project tracking medical marijuana in Illinois

A former Quinn chief of staff, Jack Lavin, served as HealthCentral’s lobbyist. But Matt Hortenstine, HealthCentral’s general counsel, said Lavin’s role with the company never came up during the review process. He also said Lavin’s contract with the company ended in January.

“We were never, ever questioned with regard to Mr. Lavin’s involvement in any way, shape or form,” Hortenstine said Monday.

Rather, Hortenstine said state officials had questions about Ben Burkhardt, a former partner in HealthCentral. Another company Burkhardt owned had been sued in Colorado for allegedly handing out marijuana-laced candy to unsuspecting Denver County fairgoers. Hortenstine said Burkhardt resolved those issues in Colorado.

He also said Burkhardt and HealthCentral split amicably in February. Burkhardt could not immediately be reached for comment.

State officials also said Monday they had issued a “final order of administrative disqualification” to IL WelMed, which had also sought a medical marijuana dispensary license.

Contributing: Becky Schlikerman

The Latest
The man was found unresponsive in an alley in the 10700 block of South Lowe Avenue, police said.
The man suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.”
Women make up just 10% of those in careers such as green infrastructure and clean and renewable energy, a leader from Openlands writes. Apprenticeships and other training opportunities are some of the ways to get more women into this growing job sector.
Chatterbox doesn’t seem aware that it’s courteous to ask questions, seek others’ opinions.