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US (AL): Advocates urge to resolve licensing legal dispute

Medical cannabis supporters advocated for making medical cannabis, which is stalled due to litigation, available in Alabama. The Patients' Coalition for Medical Cannabis, a new organization advocating for possible patients, hosted speakers Wednesday in Montgomery to discuss potential benefits for patients, setbacks in Alabama and other states that have active medical cannabis programs.

"Let me ask you this question: Who are these lawsuits serving? They're not serving the patients. I've been suffering for three years," said Amanda Taylor, an advocate for medical cannabis and a former medical cannabis patient in Arizona. She said she has seven conditions, including multiple sclerosis, that could be treated with medical cannabis.

Alabama Legislature approved the medical cannabis program in 2021, but litigation over licenses has ground the process to a halt.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) began accepting applications in late 2022. The AMCC initially issued licenses in June but voided them due to scoring inconsistencies, later rescinding awards again in August amid a lawsuit over Open Meetings Act violations. The AMCC issued new licensing rules in October. The commission issued licenses a third time in December, but litigation halted the licensing process again in January for dispensaries and integrated facilities.

Read more at alabamareflector.com

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