A judge has temporarily blocked Alabama from issuing licenses to medical marijuana facilities as a legal battle continues over how the state will select winning companies.
Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson late Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing licenses to “integrated” facilities that grow, transport and sell medical marijuana. The coveted licenses, which the commission was scheduled to issue this month, will be put on hold while it hears objections to the selection process.
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Companies that were not selected to receive licenses challenged the selection process adopted by the Commission.
Marijuana plants growing in the mother room of the Ohio AT-CPC on January 28, 2019 in Akron, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Anderson said he sympathizes with concerns about delays in access to medical marijuana, but said suspending licenses is worthwhile.
The restraining order is the latest development in a legal battle that has blocked the start of Alabama's medical marijuana program. The Alabama Legislature voted to allow medical marijuana in the state in 2021. Commission officials aim to have the product available in 2024 after a series of delays.
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Wednesday's order only affects licenses for facilities that perform multiple “seed-to-sale” functions. A judge last week put the dispensary's license on hold while it hears a similar challenge. The commission issues licenses for producers, processors, transport companies and clinical trials.
