MOBILE, Ala. [WKRG] — Six families have filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) over the lack of accessible medical cannabis for their children. The lawsuit claims that the AMCC has not yet established a patient registry, which has been required by state law since 2022.
John McMillan, AMCC Director, explained that the patient registry cannot be created until the commission issues licenses for medical cannabis, which has been delayed due to ongoing litigation. He also stated that doctors must be certified by the Alabama Medical Association before they can prescribe medical cannabis.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Bill was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey in 2021. According to the bill, the AMCC was supposed to establish a patient registry by September 1, 2022. However, McMillan noted that the delay has been caused by extensive legal challenges. "The only two licenses that are still tied up in litigation are the dispensary licenses and the integrated licenses," McMillan explained. "The legislation allows the commission to issue only five integrated licenses, but we had 38 applicants."
As a result of the delays, certified hemp manufacturing facilities, such as Oscity Labs in Foley, are ready to produce and sell cannabis products but are unable to do so until the commission resolves the licensing issues. Oscity Labs CEO Ray French expressed frustration over the situation, saying, "We’re ready to go. We could be manufacturing these products within weeks of the commission being allowed to do their job. And that’s what’s so heartbreaking to see, knowing the patients need this medicine."
McMillan hopes that patients will be able to register for medical cannabis by the end of the year, or as soon as the litigation is resolved. The legal battle continues to hold up the process, leaving families and medical facilities waiting for the state to move forward with the program that was intended to provide critical relief to patients in need of cannabis-based treatments.