Alabama’s Medical Cannabis Commission Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Licensing Disputes
More than four years after Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill legalizing medical cannabis in Alabama, the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) is still struggling to get off the ground due to ongoing legal disputes over the licensing process. The latest development in the ongoing saga is a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
The lawsuit was brought by Alabama Always, LLC, a company that applied for an integrated license in the state’s medical cannabis program. The company alleges that the AMCC’s commissioners and staff violated its constitutional rights under the 1st and 14th Amendments by retaliating against it for criticizing the commission’s alleged violations of Alabama law.
According to the lawsuit, Alabama Always followed the rules and met the qualifications for a license, but was repeatedly denied. When the company pointed out that the commission was violating the law, it was retaliated against. “Our company followed the rules, we met the qualifications, yet we were denied – again and again – and when we pointed out that the Commission violated the law, they retaliated against us for exercising our constitutional rights,” said Will Somerville, an attorney for Alabama Always.
The company is also accusing the commission of unfairly awarding licenses to companies that do not meet the requirements set out in the cannabis statute. “The commissioners insist on giving cannabis licenses to some companies that do not meet the license requirements in the cannabis statute,” said Ben McNeil, a board member of Alabama Always.
The AMCC has not commented on the lawsuit, but said that its attorneys are reviewing the complaint. The commission has been plagued by legal disputes and setbacks since the state’s medical cannabis program was launched. In April, an Alabama court overturned the medical cannabis licenses that were awarded in December 2023.
