Health officials in Massachusetts on Friday overhauled the process of granting licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries.

Regulators from the administration of Governor Charlie Baker revamped licensing strikes away the subjectivity and secrecy that had ruined the system under former governor Deval Patrick’s tenure.

It has been found that the controversy surrounding the previous system sparked more than two dozen lawsuits, and left patients without any dispensaries 2½ years after voters approved marijuana for medical use.

Dr. Monica Bharel, the state’s public health commissioner, said in a statement, “This change creates a more streamlined, efficient, and transparent process that allows the Commonwealth to maintain the highest standards of both public safety and accessibility”. Several marijuana company leaders said they were already prepared for reapply, signaling towards the long line of applicants.

The state law of 2012 restricted the number of license allotment to only 35 in the first year. The period is now passed, and regulators are free to exceed the limit of state law.

Just 15 dispensaries have received licenses to date, but none of it has opened. Now under the revised guidelines, dispensaries will be licensed in a format similar to other health care facilities, such as pharmacies.

Each application submitted will be strictly judged on its merits using clear guidelines and will move forward when the company meets the overhauled standards, said officials. The health department will start accepting the applications from June 29, and regulators said they will consider them in the order received.

The department will make staff available to applicants throughout the process to provide technical support, according to new guidelines.

Marijuana company executives earlier have complained about lack of communication by state officials during the Patrick administration. Catherine Cametti, known as Rina, a Walpole resident said Kudos to the Baker administration for changing things around that make a lot more sense.

The new system will retain several features from the previous one, like including required letters of support from the community in which a company intends to locate a dispensary.