Alabama Bill To Redo Medical Marijuana Business Licensing Receives Withering Criticism At Committee Hearing

“While this may appear to be a reasonable action on the surface, in reality, it is a move that will create further delays, more litigation and more suffering for Alabama patients who have already waited too long.”

By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector

Advocates and business leaders in the medical cannabis industry voiced frustration Wednesday over continued delays in Alabama’s medical cannabis program.

In a public hearing, every speaker objected to SB 72, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, which would scrap previously awarded medical cannabis licenses for integrated facilities and conduct a fresh evaluation of applicants. Every speaker said new legislation could further stall access to treatment.

“While this may appear to be a reasonable action on the surface, in reality, it is a move that will create further delays, more litigation and more suffering for Alabama patients who have already waited too long,” said Amanda Taylor, a potential medical cannabis patient with multiple sclerosis.

Melson indicated before the meeting started that he wanted to delay the bill at least one week to allow lawmakers and the public to review the legislation.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has faced multiple lawsuits from applicants who were denied licenses. The courts issued a temporary restraining order late last year, preventing regulators from finalizing dispensary approvals and halting the industry before it could begin operations.

Antoine Mordican, CEO of Native Black Cultivation, one of cannabis cultivators awarded a license, asked lawmakers to prioritize dispensary approvals and allow smaller operators to sell products directly to consumers.

“We fought too hard and invested too much to be shut out of the very industry we helped build,” Mordican said. “The market must open now fairly, equitable in the opportunity for all the operators and not just a select few.”

Several speakers urged lawmakers to let the judicial process play out, with the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals expected to issue a key ruling soon. Opponents believe AMCC conducted the third and latest round of licensing fairly and should be allowed to complete its review process.

“The way forward is to get behind the commission, stick with the answers that they’ve given us, because they put countless hours of work into this process to get to this point,” said Joey Robertson, owner of Wagon Trail Hemp Farms.

Melson defended the bill, arguing that choices the commission made led to legal disputes that stalled the program’s launch for nearly four years.

“I think the commission started out trying to do the process, and I think they either got bad advice or didn’t follow good advice, and they went down trails they shouldn’t have gone down,” Melson said.

This story was first published by Alabama Reflector.

Another Federal Judge Rules Against The Government’s Ban On Gun Ownership By Marijuana Consumers