Chair Rex Vaughn presides over the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission on Dec. 1, 2023 in Montgomery. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector)
A court hearing over medical cannabis licensing originally scheduled for Monday has been pushed back about a month.
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals will hear arguments on February 11 at 10 a.m. over Montgomery Circuit Court Judge James Anderson’s temporary restraining order against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), according to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Clerk’s office. The hearing was initially scheduled for January 13.
The Clerk of Courts office did not provide a reason for the delay.
The Alabama Legislature approved a state medical cannabis program in 2021, allowing individuals with 15 qualifying medical conditions — such as cancer, depression, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, sickle-cell anemia, chronic pain, and terminal illnesses — to apply for medical cannabis.
The law restricts medical cannabis to forms like tablets, capsules, gelatins, oils, gels, creams, suppositories, transdermal patches, and inhalable oils or liquids. Smoking marijuana and consuming it in edibles are prohibited, while gummies are allowed but limited to peach flavor.
But the program has been stalled due to controversies surrounding the licensing process.
In 2023, the initial round of licenses was rescinded after concerns over inconsistent scoring on applications. Later that year, a second round of applications was voided following a lawsuit accusing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) of violating the Open Meetings Act. In January, Anderson blocked a third licensing round, citing ongoing legal disputes stemming from the previous two rounds. Last July, Anderson issued an order requiring the AMCC and companies denied licenses to propose a joint plan for investigative hearings on the awarded licenses, without allowing those licenses to be issued.
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by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector
January 10, 2025
by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector
January 10, 2025
A court hearing over medical cannabis licensing originally scheduled for Monday has been pushed back about a month.
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals will hear arguments on February 11 at 10 a.m. over Montgomery Circuit Court Judge James Anderson’s temporary restraining order against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), according to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Clerk’s office. The hearing was initially scheduled for January 13.
The Clerk of Courts office did not provide a reason for the delay.
The Alabama Legislature approved a state medical cannabis program in 2021, allowing individuals with 15 qualifying medical conditions — such as cancer, depression, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, sickle-cell anemia, chronic pain, and terminal illnesses — to apply for medical cannabis.
The law restricts medical cannabis to forms like tablets, capsules, gelatins, oils, gels, creams, suppositories, transdermal patches, and inhalable oils or liquids. Smoking marijuana and consuming it in edibles are prohibited, while gummies are allowed but limited to peach flavor.
But the program has been stalled due to controversies surrounding the licensing process.
In 2023, the initial round of licenses was rescinded after concerns over inconsistent scoring on applications. Later that year, a second round of applications was voided following a lawsuit accusing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) of violating the Open Meetings Act. In January, Anderson blocked a third licensing round, citing ongoing legal disputes stemming from the previous two rounds. Last July, Anderson issued an order requiring the AMCC and companies denied licenses to propose a joint plan for investigative hearings on the awarded licenses, without allowing those licenses to be issued.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Alander Rocha is a journalist based in Montgomery, and he reports on government, policy and healthcare. He previously worked for KFF Health News and the Red & Black, Georgia’s student newspaper. He is a Tulane and Georgia alumnus with a two-year stint in the U.S. Peace Corps.
Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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The Alabama Reflector is an independent, nonprofit news outlet dedicated to covering state government and politics in the state of Alabama. Through daily coverage and investigative journalism, The Reflector covers decision makers in Montgomery; the issues affecting Alabamians, and potential ways to move our state forward.
We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. (See full republishing guidelines.)
© Alabama Reflector, 2025
Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission license case appeal postponed – Alabama Reflector
