MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, or AMCC, has halted the licensing procedure for medical marijuana-related businesses throughout the state, four days after announcing the potential licensees.
In their announcement Friday afternoon, the AMCC said the stay was ordered "because of AMCC's discovery of potential inconsistencies in the tabulation of scoring data" and said that an independent review of the data had been ordered.
The AMCC reviewed the applications of 90 applicants for cannabis-related industries ranging from cultivation of marijuana plants, to processing, distribution, and sales of the resulting cannabis products. They said scoring criteria evaluated financial abilities, business models, facility suitability, security, and quality control, among other factors.
“The Commission will work expeditiously to investigate and identify inconsistencies in the score data” said AMCC Director John McMillan. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are suspending all current procedural timelines until those matters are resolved.”
21 companies were notified they had been selected to receive licenses, which were due to be officially awarded July 10. That will no longer happen on that date, according to the commission. Payment deadlines for applicable fees necessary to obtain the license have also been suspended.
Applicants who were denied licensing were allowed to submit a request for an investigative hearing, however the deadline for those requests has also been put on hold.
The AMCC said the stay will remain in effect until further notice. Doctors in the state will not be able to issue medical marijuana-related prescriptions until the business licenses awarded by the commission are allowed go into effect.