Health officials in Massachusetts on Friday overhauled the process of granting licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries.

Regulators from the administration of Governor Charlie Baker revamped licensing strikes away the subjectivity and secrecy that had ruined the system under former governor Deval Patrick’s tenure.

It has been found that the controversy surrounding the previous system sparked more than two dozen lawsuits, and left patients without any dispensaries 2½ years after voters approved marijuana for medical use.

Dr. Monica Bharel, the state’s public health commissioner, said in a statement, “This change creates a more streamlined, efficient, and transparent process that allows the Commonwealth to maintain the highest standards of both public safety and accessibility”. Several marijuana company leaders said they were already prepared for reapply, signaling towards the long line of applicants.

The state law of 2012 restricted the number of license allotment to only 35 in the first year. The period...