In June, a number of businessmen and women were awarded a limited number of medical cannabis licenses by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC). If things had gone according to plan, in July, those men and women would have gotten their licenses formally issued, construction on new cannabis farms, factories, and dispensaries would be underway, and Alabama’s first legal cannabis crop would be growing in an Alabama greenhouse right now.
Nothing went according to plan. Business entities not awarded a license by the AMCC began filing lawsuits within days of the awards being issued. The AMCC staff discovered errors in tabulating the scores, and the commission itself held an emergency meeting to stay issuing their licenses. Days after, Montgomery Judge James Anderson issued a temporary restraining order barring the AMCC from issuing the licenses. Rather than pressing ahead and finding a way to issue those licenses, the AMCC nullified its previous awards and held a new round of awards. Most of the business entities that received awards in June also received awards in August, but not all.
Verona was one of five business entities awarded an integrated facility license by the AMCC in June. In August, they did not get the award. They are now suing on the grounds that the AMCC violated the Alabama Open Meetings Law.
Verona is represented by lobbyist Curt Lee.
“Verona had the highest scores both times,” Lee told the Mid-Alabama Republican Club on Saturday. “Obviously, we have some concerns about why, if you had the highest score, Verona didn’t get a license.”
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