TALLAHASSEE (NSF) – Three nurseries rejected by health officials for medical-marijuana licenses are challenging the licenses granted to Florida’s first “dispensing organizations,” with possibly more appeals on the horizon before a Monday deadline.

In a challenge filed Friday, Gainesville-based San Felasco Nurseries argued that the grower was erroneously disqualified because of issues surrounding a background screening of its research and development director. The nursery also alleges that the winner of the license for the state’s Northeast region, Chestnut Hill Tree Farm, is ineligible to be one of the five dispensing organizations, which will grow, process and distribute non-euphoric marijuana legalized last year.

Two nurseries in the Southwest region of the state — Perkins and TropiFlora — also filed challenges Friday.

Labelle-based Perkins, which received the lowest ranking of five scored applicants in the Southwest region, is questioning its ranking from a three-member panel that had the task of picking one...