Cannabis Business Owner Must Pay $6 Million in Contract Dispute

A cannabis business owner can’t vacate his $6.4 million contract dispute judgment but can make a case why being compelled to sell his company stake violates public policy, a split federal appeals panel ruled Monday.

Mackie A. Barch had his request to vacate the judgment against him denied by the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the panel’s majority said in their opinion. The majority rejected the owner of Trellis Holdings Maryland Inc.'s contention that his business partner, David Joshua Bartch, lacked standing to seek the judgment against him.

But the majority vacated a judgment enforcement order against ...