Alabama’s long-stalled rollout of medical marijuana hit a major breakthrough Tuesday (June 17) with Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission officials confirming the issuance of some contested licenses would finally move forward after being tied up for years in litigation.
It will likely still be several months before products are available on a limited basis.
Justin Aday, general counsel for the commission, told Alabama Daily News the dispensary licenses, which authorize companies to operate as point-of-sale retailers for medical marijuana, have already been referred to an administrative law judge for investigative hearings. Once the hearings are complete, the licenses can be issued and Alabama patients can purchase medical marijuana products legally for the first time.
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Limited medical marijuana was legalized in Alabama in 2021 through the Compassion Act, carried by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, which established the AMCC to review candidates and award and issue licenses to grow and sell some marijuana products. The AMCC first awarded licenses across six categories in June of 2023, though were soon hit with litigation from companies not awarded licenses, litigation that has stalled the rollout indefinitely.
The AMCC was permitted by a Montgomery court to move forward with the issuance of four of the six uncontested license categories; cultivation, processor, secure transporter and state testing laboratory licenses. The issuance of the two contested license categories, however — dispensary and integrated facility licenses, the only licenses that permit the sale of medical marijuana — have remained tied up in court. That is, until this week.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alexander Willis and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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