Massachusetts is defending its heavily criticized process for selecting companies to run medical marijuana dispensaries.
In an 18-page letter to a state lawmaker investigating the licensing process, the head of the state's medical marijuana program insisted that the Public Health Department "rigorously verifies" information in the applications and "investigates any allegations that information provided is not accurate."
There have been several media reports questioning the qualifications of key staff of several dispensaries and documented misstatements made by applicants.
Twenty dispensaries have been given preliminary approval.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo asked state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez last month to examine how the state selected the companies.
Sanchez tells The Boston Globe his investigation is ongoing and he has many more questions for the head of the program.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
