Dara Kam - News Service of Florida

A dozen applicants are vying for a potentially lucrative license earmarked for a Black farmer who participated in decades-old litigation over discrimination in lending practices by the federal government.

The settlements left Walgreens as the sole defendant in a lawsuit that targeted businesses involved in all aspects of the opioid industry. A Pasco County judge is scheduled to begin jury selection next week.

The state says Joseph Dorn did not conduct a physical exam of two patients and employed a "trick or scheme." The judge recommends dismissing the complaint.

Joseph Dorn is accused of not conducting a physical exam of two patients and employing a "trick or scheme." But Dorn claims he was the one tricked, by undercover agents who lied about their conditions.

The order came in a lawsuit filed by the Florida attorney general’s office in 2018 seeking unspecified damages against drug manufacturers, retailers and distributors.

The state Department of Health will accept applications for the single Black farmer license March 21-25, the first opportunity for prospective medical marijuana operators to vie for a license since 2015.

Florida health officials had stopped the arrangement, saying it violated a state law banning operators from contracting for services “directly related to the cultivation, processing and dispensing” of cannabis.

The office that oversees the industry is asking for nearly $13 million as part of its expansion plans. Meantime, the health department rolled out an anticipated emergency rule on the Black farmer license.

With the $2.1 billion acquisition of Harvest Health & Recreation finalized, Trulieve will have 149 retail locations in 11 states including Florida. Before the deal closed, Trulieve had 85 retail sites in Florida.

A physician is accusing health officials of breaking the law to create fake records in a case involving an investigator falsely posing as a military veteran with PTSD.