[Montgomery, Ala] – The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), at its meeting on December 1, 2023, ranked applicants and voted to award medical cannabis business licenses to the following applicants.

Through AMCC’s new procedures, members of the Commission received presentations and participated in discussions with applicants during public presentations held November 27-29.

“The presentations we received from applicants this week were insightful and allowed Commission members to ask questions about the contents and merits of their application,” explained Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn. “We received applications and presentations from applicants who would make terrific licensees, which made our job of selecting a limited number of them challenging. However, I trust this Commission’s wisdom and discretion in selecting the best applicants to serve as licensees in Alabama’s newest industry. ”

Following this award of licenses, the procedural timelines associated with the post-award licensing process will begin along with the pre-issuance site inspections. Those applicants who were awarded a license will have 14 days to submit the appropriate license fee. Also, any applicant who has been denied a license has 14 days to request an investigative hearing before the Commission for reconsideration of said denial.

The Commission will receive presentations from integrated facility applicants December 5-8 and will award such licenses on December 12, 2023.

Under the rules promulgated by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, physicians may begin the certification process to recommend medical cannabis to patients after business licenses have been issued. For a patient to qualify for medical cannabis, the patient must have at least one of the qualifying conditions and be recommended for medical cannabis by a certified physician.

While the Commission is limited as to the number of licenses it can issue pursuant to the statute, the Commission intends to open a second offering of licenses for various license categories.

To learn more about the Alabama medical cannabis program visit amcc.alabama.gov.

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Alabama Act 2021-450 establishes the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission and authorizes the Commission to implement the Act by making medical cannabis derived from cannabis grown in Alabama available to registered qualified patients, by licensing facilities that process, transport, test, or dispense medical cannabis, and by administering and enforcing the Act and all rules adopted pursuant to the Act.

The Commission, per the statute, could award up to twelve (12) cultivator licenses, four (4) processor licenses, four (4) dispensary licenses, five (5) integrated facility licenses and an unspecified number of secure transport and state testing laboratory licenses.

Commission members are appointed to the commission for established terms by various appointing authorities, including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, State Health Officer, Attorney General, and Secretary of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.  Each commission member represents certain segments that the legislature deemed important to the establishment and regulation of the medical cannabis program in Alabama. Members of the Commission include: Dr. William Saliski, Pulmonologist; Dr. Sam Blakemore, Pharmacist; Dwight Gamble, Banker; Dr. Angela Martin, Pediatrician; Dr. Eric Jensen, Biochemist; Loree Skelton, Attorney; Rex Vaughn, Farmer; Judge Charles Price, Circuit Judge; Taylor Hatchett, Farmer; James Harwell, Nurseryman and Landscaper, Dr. Jerzy Szflarski, Neurologist, Dr. Jimmie Harvey, Oncologist, and Dion Robinson, Department of Corrections.

Under Alabama’s program, registered certifying physicians may recommend medical cannabis to patients who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; cancer-related pain or nausea; Crohn’s Disease; depression; epilepsy or conditions causing seizures; HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss; panic disorder; Parkinson’s Disease; persistent nausea; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); sickle cell anemia; spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury; Tourette’s Syndrome; a terminal illness; or conditions causing chronic or intractable pain.

Medical cannabis products that may be recommended to patients include tablets, capsules, tinctures, gelatinous cubes, gels, oils or creams for topical use, suppositories, transdermal patches, nebulizers, or liquids or oils for use in an inhaler. Raw plant materials, products administered by smoking or vaping, or food products such as cookies or candies will not be allowed.