By Jeff Devine
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has officially approved licenses for three dispensary companies, marking one of the final steps toward getting medical marijuana products on shelves after years of setbacks. A fourth dispensary license will be considered soon, and each approved company will be allowed to operate up to three storefronts statewide.
Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn said the long-delayed program is finally gaining momentum, estimating that medical cannabis products could become available to patients as early as the spring. “It’s a pivotal day for us… We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Vaughn said.
Before sales can begin, the state must certify participating physicians and build a patient registry. Vaughn noted that cultivators have already begun harvesting, but processors must now receive that product to prepare it for dispensaries.
Although progress is being made, several hurdles remain. The state has not yet issued licenses for five “seed-to-sale” operations, which would allow companies to grow, process, and sell their own products. Those licenses have been tied up in multiple lawsuits, contributing to the ongoing delays. Once approved, these integrated companies could open up to five dispensary locations each, expanding the number of potential dispensary sites across Alabama from 12 to 37.
Alabama lawmakers originally approved the medical cannabis program in 2021, following years of resistance. Since then, the rollout has been slowed by disputes over licensing, accusations of improper scoring, and legal battles over who should be allowed to operate in the industry. The AMCC originally approved licenses but court battles have held the program in limbo for over two years.
While Alabama continues working through these challenges, most of the country has already moved forward with medical cannabis access. Forty states now allow medical use, and 24 permit recreational marijuana.
Despite the drawn-out process, Vaughn says that our state’s experience and the delays are not unusual. “It should not have taken this long… but realistically, based on what other states have encountered, we were not out of the ordinary,” he said.
Under current Alabama law, medical cannabis may only be prescribed by licensed physicians approved to prescribe it. Additionally, it may only be used in the treatment of the following specific medical conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder, cancer-related conditions (weight loss, nausea, vomiting, or chronic pain associated with cancer), chronic or intractable pain, Chron’s Disease, depression, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS-related nausea/weight loss/appetite problems, panic disorder, PTSD, sickle-cell anemia, spasticity, terminal illness, or Tourette’s Syndrome. A patient hoping to use medical cannabis to treat one of the conditions above must first be an Alabama resident and obtain a medical cannabis card by applying and registering through the AMCC. They must also be under the care of a physician who Alabama has licensed to prescribe medical cannabis.
