Judge: How Arkansas pot growers picked illegal

A Pulaski County circuit judge Wednesday declared unconstitutional Arkansas' process for licensing the first medical-marijuana growers, citing the appearance of bias and of failure to verify applicants' compliance with key requirements. In a 28-page decision, Judge Wendell Griffen issued a preliminary injunction barring the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission from issuing five cannabis-growing licenses. The injunction is a continuance of a temporary restraining order Griffen issued a week ago, just hours before the commission planned to formally award the licenses to five companies.Wednesday's order, however, went a step further, declaring the commission's rankings of the 95 growing license applications "null and void."