HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commision is finally in the process of issuing licenses to begin the production and sale of medical cannabis in Alabama. "So, we've moved forward, and I don't see any way we can go back at this point," Chey Garrigan, Founding Chief Executive Director of the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association shares. "Next week we will give out the vertically integrated license. So, I'm excited. We're really excited about it. You know, it's time. It's way past time."
A vertically integrated license lets the license holder grow, process, transport, and dispense product, but the category of individual dispensary licensing has hit a snag. "There was a temporary restraining order that was entered into just to just have them wait on issuing the license," Garrigan. "I believe there's about a ten-day max but, yes, there's some pending lawsuits where some cultivators have tried to put a temporary restraining order on the issuing of a cultivation license. The judge denied that. He did, however, allow the dispensary lawsuit to go forward with a temporary restraining order."
Garrigan shares her thoughts on the legal process. "I believe he's trying to take everything in," Garrigan shares. "He is allowing all of these attorneys to be able to give the argument and so the judge has really been listening to every argument that that one of these lawsuits brings. I believe he's gotten to the point where he's like, all right, enough is enough the patients of Alabama need this medication. The legislatures have already agreed to this. They voted on it. The governor signed off on a bill."
With licensing in some capacity underway, focus is being directed other areas. "My job right now is to try to get the patients' awareness, to get people's awareness in the state of Alabama, because right now, a lot of people have just been caught up in what's going on in the courtroom and who's getting a license."
Garrigan also explains how questions are coming in about the legality of the medical cannabis. "In our comment section where they'll say like it's still federally illegal. It is actually in Alabama," Garrigan shares. "It's still nothing that has changed as far as the criminal penalties go for this. Those are definitely things that are on the forefront of my mind and also the get the ones, all the other legislators that I've work where they understand that this could create a huge problem, and so there'll be a lot of education that will come along for awareness."