The Florida Department of Health is asking an appeals court to block a lower-court judge from moving forward with a lawsuit in which a Martin County nursery argues it should receive a potentially lucrative medical-marijuana license.

The department went to the First District Court of Appeal last week in the dispute, which stems from nursery Edward Miller & Son Inc. being denied a marijuana license, at least in part because the firm missed an application deadline by 27 minutes.

Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers had scheduled a trial to start Oct. 8. But the appeals court issued an order Friday that at least temporarily put the case on hold and gave Edward Miller & Son until Oct. 31 to respond to the state's arguments that the lawsuit should be scuttled.