After two years of controversy and delays that have prevented any Alabama patients from accessing medical cannabis products, one of the principal sponsors of the original legislation that paved the way for the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) is introducing a new bill that would punt multiple lawsuits over licenses to the Alabama Supreme Court, expand the number of integrated licenses from five to seven, and empower a consultant to award those licenses.
Sen. Tim Melson is co-sponsoring Senate Bill 72, which would deem any denial of a license application by the AMCC as "final and conclusive," and would make any action by a court to block or deny an AMCC license decision immediately appealable to the Alabama Supreme Court. That would apply retroactively to multiple lawsuits now tied up in Montgomery Circuit Court, where a retired judge has been appointed as a mediator to try and resolve claims by license applicants that the AMCC's process was flawed and illegal.
SB 72 would also expand the number of integrated licenses for medical cannabis cultivation and distribution from the current five to seven in that category, and require the AMCC to hire a consultant that is "a nationally recognized entity with expertise in financial auditing and managerial consulting and which has offices in at least 15 states." That consultant would choose the seven licensees from among the applicants who submitted their paperwork by the original deadline of December 31, 2022, and must make the recommendation no later than January 1, 2026.
Read more at WBRC 6 News