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One approved grower has ties to the governor, another one just north of the Philly area is affiliated with a company accused of illegally transporting cannabis across state lines.

Pennsylvania Cannabis Advocate Geoff Whaling, of Bunker Botanicals, is one of 177 applicants who paid $10,000 a piece - for an overall total of $1.77 million to the state - for a shot at earning a massive money-making marijuana grow license.

"It is probably a million dollars a month that we would be generating out of this facility," Whaling said.

Bunker Botanicals includes all-Pennsylvania engineers, investors, and board members, but failed to get the thumbs up to grow in their underground facility.

Former Flyers Forward Riley Cote is a board member.

"There's always concern for, I don't know if ethics is the right word, but, you know, some shady business going on," Cote said.

Companies like Bunker can appeal the decision amid concerns about how permits were doled out. It's big money, and some companies shelled out upwards of $60,000 for a piece of the marijuana pie.

The reason Pennsylvania is potentially such a gold mine for marijuana growers is the state has approved medicinal use for 17 qualifying disorders. That is significantly more than any other state.

But what's concerning, according to Attorney Joe Kelley, is how the applicants were scored, and whether the process was potentially tainted.