Alabama Expected to Issue Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licenses Soon

Medical cannabis dispensary licenses in Alabama are expected to be issued
soon, following years of litigation, Alabama Daily News reports. Justin
Aday, general counsel for the state Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC),
told the Daily News last week that dispensary licenses have been referred
to an administrative law judge for investigative hearings and, once
complete, the licenses would be issued.

A court had already allowed the issuance of cultivation, processor, secure
transporter, and testing licenses – which were uncontested – to move
forward but the issuance of dispensary and integrated facility licenses
remained in limbo.

Sam Blackmore, pharmacist and member of the AMCC, told the Daily News that
he has “guarded optimism about the dispensary category proceeding.”

“…Our mantra amongst ourselves has been that if we can just get one of
these dispensaries open, that will allow the physicians to finally get
going so that they can at least make a recommendation that will allow for
the patient registry to open up so patients can start registering.” —
Blackmore to the Daily News

Blackmore added that while only the dispensary licenses have been allowed
to move forward in the process, he thinks “the same thing is going to play
out with the integrated category as well.”

In April, parents of would-be medical cannabis patients sued the commission
over delays implementing the program by the date mandated by law. The
lawsuit contends that the Darren Wesley “Ato” Hall Compassion Act, signed
into law nearly five years ago, mandated the creation of a system to track
qualified patients and caregivers, and used mandatory language requiring
action by a specific deadline – giving the AMCC no discretion on timelines
– but the state has not yet registered patients or caregivers. A hearing on
that case is scheduled for June 26 in Montgomery County.