The first two medical cannabis cultivator license applications have been approved in Nebraska.

Nancy Laughlin-Wagner, on behalf of Midwest Cultivators Group in Omaha, and Patrick Thomas of Raymond will each receive an offer of licensure to grow and cultivate up to 1,250 flowering marijuana plants for medical purposes.

Their applications were among the four that were randomly selected to be scored by the members of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission’s evaluation team, which includes all three commission members: Chair Monica Oldenburg, Lorelle Mueting and J. Michael Coffey.

The applications were each scored independently with an average score of 70 or higher needed for approval.

Thomas’ and Wagner’s applications met that standard, while two other applications, including one submitted by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana executive director Crista Eggers, fell below the threshold.

Eggers, who was the only one of the applicants to speak at Tuesday’s commission meeting, said she is grateful the commission moved forward in the licensing process but wants to know more about how the applications were judged.

“I hope that the individuals that receive these licenses are good people that have every intention of providing good medicine to the people of this state that so desperately need it,” she said. “I do hope that we see some transparency with a matrix and things, so that all applications, all licensed applicants, have that information to go forward, so that they know how they scored.”

The denied applicants have until Oct. 23 to file an appeal, which would then require the scheduling of an additional hearing. Once the appeals are resolved, or if no appeals are filed, the commission will evaluate the next two randomly selected applications. A maximum of four cultivator licenses are allowed in the state under the amended emergency regulations signed last month.