October 2023 Group Watch: Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Overhauls Licensing Process Amid Legal Disputes
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) adopted new application and licensing rules after months of legal disputes and amid stalled settlement negotiations over the commission’s evaluation process. The AMCC awarded licenses to produce and distribute medical cannabis in June, but inconsistencies in the scoring of applications led to multiple lawsuits and a halt to the licensing process. Companies denied licenses have alleged that the commission was conducting much of its business behind closed doors, a violation of the Open Meetings Act. The new rules adopted by the commission will allow it to use scores it gave to prior applications but also give applicants the chance  present their proposals to the commission in a public meeting.
