IRON MOUNTAIN — Two downstate businesses have earned the highest rankings under a city scoring system to award licenses for medical marijuana facilities.

Barring successful appeals, Iron Mountain licenses for growing, processing and provisioning will go to Attitude Wellness, owned by Robert Barnes of Evart, and RIZE, owned by Nick Issak of Macomb and Julie Wentworth of Bay Harbor.

The businesses each earned 49 points out of a possible 52 on the city’s application rubric, said Jordan Stanchina, city manager. They essentially received maximum scores, apart from the owners being non-residents, he said.

Placing third with 45 points was Tree of Life, owned by Dave Fraser of Breitung Township and Ryan Mulder of Channing.

An application from The Source of IM, represented by JoAnn Paulin of Iron Mountain and Brad Butler and Robert White of Niagara, Wis., received 44 points. Green Spectrum Labs, primarily owned by Dan Kreider of Breitung Township, was scored at 42 points.

Applicants have been notified of their scores, but preliminary licenses won’t be awarded until the city takes up potential appeals, Stanchina said.

RIZE proposes a facility at a now-vacant building at 1580 N. Stephenson Ave., about an eighth-mile south of Industrial Drive and North Lake Antoine Road.

Attitude Wellness would build a growing and processing facility on the west side of Hydraulic Falls Road between Stephenson Avenue and Breitung Cutoff Road. Its provisioning center would be at 117 and 119 S. Stephenson Ave., just south of East Fleshiem Street, where structures would be rehabilitated.

The city, in scoring the applications, sought to emphasize economic and neighborhood impacts as well as the ability to operate. Businesses may apply for recreational marijuana licenses — also limited at two apiece for growing, processing and provisioning — once a city ordinance is in place.

Under the state’s current rules, only medical marijuana license holders can receive a recreational license. Medical and recreational businesses may occupy the same facility, but products must be kept separate.

The city council will have a public hearing on a proposed recreational marijuana ordinance Oct. 7. Final council approval at that time would put the rules into effect 30 days later, several days after Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency starts accepting applications Nov. 1 for business licenses. Iron Mountain would then have a 45-day window for applications.