State health officials deemed the application submitted by Moton Hopkins and Hatchett Creek Farms, of which he owned 51 percent, to be the cream of the crop. After he died, they decided to award the license to someone else.
Although a Florida farmer was among the top contenders for a medical marijuana license, the Black man died before the license was awarded to somebody else. Now his family has challenged the action, which could be worth tens of millions to the owner.
Moton Hopkins was among a dozen farmers and their teams who sought a medical-marijuana license designated in Florida law for a Black farmer who participated in class-action lawsuits over lending discrimination by the federal government.