“I think it will be interesting to see how aggressively we can all act within the deadline because we have had delay after delay.”
Alabama Reflector by Allander Rocha
A company seeking to build a comprehensive medical marijuana facility filed a complaint Tuesday with the Alabama Medical Marijuana Commission.
Presentations will take place Tuesday through Friday, and the commission is expected to award the license next week.
Applicants seeking integrated facility licenses to grow, process and distribute medical cannabis were allotted up to 45 minutes to speak with the commission. Most companies emphasized their ability to quickly get products to patients.
“We grow [medical cannabis] Chuck Smith, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner of Southeast Cannabis Company, said: “We can have products produced and on the shelves within months, as quickly as plants can grow and be harvested. You can do that.”
Smith said if it starts operating in January, product could be available as early as June.
AMCC Chair Rex Bourne said the committee is considering how quickly pharmacies can get products to patients, but feels it would be most valuable to hear from companies about their businesses. He said there was.
“I think it will be interesting to see how aggressively we can all act within the deadline because we’ve had delay after delay so far,” he said. “But what we’re really looking for, and what’s fun to listen to, is for them to be very honest with us about their game plan and how intentional they are with what they’re trying to do. I think it will tell you whether you are on target.”
The commission will award five integrated facility licenses.
“That would be almost impossible,” Vaughn said. “It was the same feeling as the last time we did it. We knew we had picked a really good one, but at the same time we couldn’t pick another good one, so we were all confused. think.”
Each integrated facility will operate five dispensaries responsible for growing cannabis and dispensary sales of the products.
The commission on Friday awarded 20 licenses to companies that provide individual services such as cultivation, processing and dispensing. The integrated facility will be authorized to carry out all activities to grow and grow medical cannabis.
Thirty-six entities applied for integrated facility licenses. Thirty-eight companies applied, but two withdrew their applications.
Some pointed to shortcomings in their applications, such as residency issues, while others spoke emotionally about their agricultural experience.
Nell Maisel, co-owner of Gemstone Alabama, one of the applicants for the integrated facility, said she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago. That led her to invest in medical marijuana in other states, she said, and recently obtained an integrated facility license in Florida.
But Maisel cited his Alabama roots, including an education in the state’s public schools and a degree from the University of Alabama.
“I’ve been reading a lot of books. It helps people. Especially in my home state of Alabama, that’s what I value. And you know, the team is more than 70 percent is an Alabamian and that’s what I care about,” she said.
AMCC first awarded the license in June, but a discrepancy in scores caused the commission to vacate the award and reevaluate the application.
Proceedings were halted again in August due to a lawsuit alleging that the commission violated open meeting laws. Therefore, the Commission reversed the second award and negotiated with the plaintiffs a possible process for proceeding with the award.
After months of legal disputes and stalled settlement negotiations, AMCC adopted new licensing and application rules in October, and the latest round of applications has begun.
The Alabama Legislature approved the state’s medical marijuana program in 2021, but the bill authorizing the program would not allow licenses to be issued until September 1, 2022. AMCC began accepting applications late last year.
Once the product is available, patients certified by participating physicians will be able to use medical cannabis for 15 conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. Patients must apply for a card to obtain medical marijuana from a licensed dispenser.
The law prohibits smoking medical marijuana or ingesting it as food. It is available as tablets, capsules, gelatin, oils, gels, creams, suppositories, transdermal patches, or inhalable oils or liquids. Cannabis gummies are only allowed in peach flavor.
Vaughn said these presentations will allow the committee to select companies that can start operations with “the least potential for problems.” They say they weight these presentations based on what the presenters told the committee and “how well applicants can perform and what they tell us.” he said.
“I think that’s what these presentations made clear to us,” he said. “It’s probably these companies, or these applicants, that offer the best opportunity to get the industry off the ground as smoothly and quickly as possible.”
This article was first published by Alabama Reflector.
Federal research shows states where marijuana is illegal typically have higher treatment hospitalization rates
Photo by Chris Wallis // Side pocket image.