MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — After an extended period of delays and legal disputes surrounding medical cannabis licenses, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has announced that investigative hearings can now move forward. This development marks a critical advancement in the implementation of the state’s medical cannabis program, potentially allowing sales to commence this year, four years after legalization in 2019.
AMCC Director John McMillan explained that the resolution of various restraining orders previously issued by circuit courts has now been lifted, enabling the commission to proceed. ‘We had a number of restraining orders from the circuit court level, and this court of civil appeals vacated those,’ McMillan said, referring to the judicial changes that have allowed the commission to push ahead.
Among the key players in this phase, Foley-based Specialty Medical Products and Oscity Labs have secured one of five integrated facility licenses. This license permits them to cultivate, process, and distribute medical cannabis within Alabama. French, a representative from Oscity Labs, expressed optimism about this milestone. ‘This is the last thing that they’ll need to do before they proceed with the process of finalizing these licenses,’ he stated, indicating that patient access to medical cannabis could be realized as soon as this fall.
French noted that established facilities like theirs, which already comply with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), could quickly bring products to market. ‘We can, very quickly, just a matter of a few weeks, turn around and have products on the market,’ he added.
The investigative hearings will be overseen by Bernard Harwood, a former Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, who will provide recommendations to the AMCC before the issuance of final orders for integrated facility licenses. McMillan acknowledged the complexity of the legislation and the associated rules that have contributed to delays. He noted, ‘This investigative hearing process should have been going on like two years ago.’
In another important development, the AMCC awarded a lab license to Foley-based Green Health Laboratories, further facilitating the progression of the state’s medical cannabis framework. These steps are crucial for establishing a functioning medical cannabis market in Alabama.
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