In response to a recent court ruling, the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control revoked the medical marijuana license for River Valley Relief.”It’s really to remain in compliance with the court order. To say there are a lot of moving parts here would be a bit of an understatement,” said Scott Hardin with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.Hardin told 40/29 News the Fort Smith-based cultivation facility will be allowed to continue operating since it has appealed the decision. Alcoholic Beverage Control board members will decide if the license will be officially revoked at their next meeting on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. in Little Rock.River Valley Relief is one of eight medical marijuana cultivation facilities licensed in Arkansas. It’s the only cultivation facility in the River Valley.”We’ve got a great super motivated team who’s devoted to our mission and the mission is serving Arkansas patients. It’s been quite an investment for me and my brother and this whole time we’ve been relying on that license to do what we did here,” said Storm Nolan, co-owner of River Valley Relief.Nolan said he and his brother have invested more than $8 million into the cultivation facility that employs 75 people and has an annual payroll of approximately $2 million. In January 2021, Southern Roots Cultivation, who was next in line to receive a cultivation license sued the state, alleging River Valley Relief should have never been issued a license due to errors with the selection process.The lawsuit filed in Pulaski County claimed River Valley Relief’s original location listed on their application was within 3,000 feet of the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center and that it was legally considered a school since juveniles received class instruction while being detained.The lawsuit also claimed Nolan dissolved the corporation and sold the original building that was on the application.”At least two of the charges aren’t true and one of the charges has already been settled,” Nolan said.Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herbert Wright ruled in favor of Southern Roots Cultivation, finding that the Medical Marijuana Commission did not follow laws governing the application process and ordered that the Alcoholic Beverage Control remedy the violations.Despite several attempts to intervene in the case, Wright denied those motions by Nolan’s attorneys. They are appealing the judge’s ruling.”We believe we’re going to be in a long legal fight, this process is going to take a while. Ultimately we believe the (state) Supreme Court will decide the facts and ultimately we believe we’ll prevail,” Nolan said.If Alcoholic Beverage Control board members vote to revoke the cultivation facility’s license, Hardin told 40/29 News that Nolan could sue the state to try and get it restored, but it could mean the facility would have to cease operating unless an emergency injunction was issued.”As of today, people are spending about $800,000 a day, on average, purchasing medical marijuana in the state. There’s a reason these licenses are so competitive,” Hardin said.Nolan told 40/29 News he is hopeful Alcoholic Beverage Control board members will vote to overturn the director’s decision to revoke his medical marijuana license.”We believe the facts speak for themselves and if they hear us out, let us make our case and give us a fair shot, we’re on the right side here of the law,” Nolan said.
In response to a recent court ruling, the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control revoked the medical marijuana license for River Valley Relief.
“It’s really to remain in compliance with the court order. To say there are a lot of moving parts here would be a bit of an understatement,” said Scott Hardin with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
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Hardin told 40/29 News the Fort Smith-based cultivation facility will be allowed to continue operating since it has appealed the decision. Alcoholic Beverage Control board members will decide if the license will be officially revoked at their next meeting on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. in Little Rock.
River Valley Relief is one of eight medical marijuana cultivation facilities licensed in Arkansas. It’s the only cultivation facility in the River Valley.
“We’ve got a great super motivated team who’s devoted to our mission and the mission is serving Arkansas patients. It’s been quite an investment for me and my brother and this whole time we’ve been relying on that license to do what we did here,” said Storm Nolan, co-owner of River Valley Relief.
Nolan said he and his brother have invested more than $8 million into the cultivation facility that employs 75 people and has an annual payroll of approximately $2 million.
In January 2021, Southern Roots Cultivation, who was next in line to receive a cultivation license sued the state, alleging River Valley Relief should have never been issued a license due to errors with the selection process.
The lawsuit filed in Pulaski County claimed River Valley Relief’s original location listed on their application was within 3,000 feet of the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center and that it was legally considered a school since juveniles received class instruction while being detained.
The lawsuit also claimed Nolan dissolved the corporation and sold the original building that was on the application.
“At least two of the charges aren’t true and one of the charges has already been settled,” Nolan said.
Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herbert Wright ruled in favor of Southern Roots Cultivation, finding that the Medical Marijuana Commission did not follow laws governing the application process and ordered that the Alcoholic Beverage Control remedy the violations.
Despite several attempts to intervene in the case, Wright denied those motions by Nolan’s attorneys. They are appealing the judge’s ruling.
“We believe we’re going to be in a long legal fight, this process is going to take a while. Ultimately we believe the (state) Supreme Court will decide the facts and ultimately we believe we’ll prevail,” Nolan said.
If Alcoholic Beverage Control board members vote to revoke the cultivation facility’s license, Hardin told 40/29 News that Nolan could sue the state to try and get it restored, but it could mean the facility would have to cease operating unless an emergency injunction was issued.
“As of today, people are spending about $800,000 a day, on average, purchasing medical marijuana in the state. There’s a reason these licenses are so competitive,” Hardin said.
Nolan told 40/29 News he is hopeful Alcoholic Beverage Control board members will vote to overturn the director’s decision to revoke his medical marijuana license.
“We believe the facts speak for themselves and if they hear us out, let us make our case and give us a fair shot, we’re on the right side here of the law,” Nolan said.
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