Section 1290.60  Selection Process

a)         The Division will conduct a comprehensive, fair and impartial evaluation of the applications timely received.  It will award dispensing organization authorizations on a competitive basis.

b)         Applications will be assessed to determine whether they meet the mandatory minimum qualification criteria.  Application items are mandatory unless otherwise indicated.  An applicant that fails to submit the information required by this Part may be disqualified prior to the review and scoring process.

c)         The Division will accept applications, assigning each one a unique identification number.  During the selection process, the application will be reviewed and referred to by its unique identification number.

d)         An application will be disqualified if one or more of the prospective principal officers has been convicted of an excluded offense. 

e)         When the Division receives more than one complete and timely filed application for an authorization in a District, the Division will choose the applicant through a selection and scoring process (see Section 1290.70).

f)         The Division will rank each complete application based on its total score.

g)         Authorizations will be issued to the applicants meeting at least the minimum criteria in each category and with the highest total score overall per District and based on the number of allocated registrations per District.

h)         In the event that two or more applicants receive the same total high score, the Division will select the applicant that received the highest score in the security and recordkeeping categories.  In the event that the applicants received the same score in the security and recordkeeping categories, the tied applicants will be interviewed by a panel of three Department employees selected by the Director. The panel will interview the applicants based on the information gathered during the application process.  The panel will make a written recommendation to the Director, and the Director will review the recommendation and make a final written determination.

i)          The Division may issue up to 60 dispensing organization authorizations.  If the Division concludes that, during the first request for applications, no qualified applications are timely received for a District or Districts, the Division reserves the right to award fewer than 60 authorizations. If a second round of applications is required, the second round will be conducted in the same manner as the first.

j)          An authorization notice will be sent to a successful applicant. The authorization notice will include a registry identification number to be used on all future communication with the Division.

k)         Notwithstanding Section 1290.620, nothing in this Part is intended to confer a property or other right, duty, privilege or interest entitling an applicant to an administrative hearing upon denial of an application.

l)          To reassign a registration, the Division will publish on its website, and in such other places as the Division deems appropriate, a notice of open applications for dispensary registration. The notice shall include:

1)         The number of registrations anticipated to be awarded;

2)         Information on how to obtain an application;

3)         The deadline for receipt of applications;

4)         Acceptable methods for submitting an application; and

5)         The available District.