At least some of the losing applicants are expected to challenge the health agency’s decisions and lead to further delays.

Florida is finally awarding 22 highly sought-after medical marijuana licenses nearly 18 months after the applications were submitted and reviewed by state authorities. The state’s medical marijuana industry is tightly regulated and only those with a license can cultivate,

In Florida, 28 companies control the medical marijuana market. For years, the marketplace has been dominated and controlled at all levels by a tight cluster of companies — only about two-thirds of Florida’s licensed companies have storefronts — that ...