Alabama panel once again OKs companies that will grow, distribute medical marijuana

August 11, 2023

WVUA 23 Digital,

The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY (AP) — The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has awarded new licenses to grow, process and sell medical marijuana after discovering problems with the initial selection process.

Commissioners voided their original selections made in June after discovering what they described as human errors in the scoring of applications. On Thursday, the commission selected 24 companies to receive licenses, many of which were among the original winners.

Alabama lawmakers in 2021 ended years of resistance and approved the creation of a program to allow marijuana to be used for certain medical conditions. However, it is not available yet to patients because the state has to develop rules and award grower and distributor licenses.

“Since the Commission’s inception, we have worked to develop a fair, honest, and equitable process to select licensees,” Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn said in a statement. “It is regrettable that the tabulation errors occurred, however we have acknowledged the miscalculations and have taken the necessary steps to ensure that the data provided to the commission was accurate.”

The winning companies will have 14 days to submit their license fees. Applicants who did not win a license will have 14 days to request an investigation.

Thursday’s action could renew the legal fight over who gets a piece of the medical marijuana business in the state. A company had sued the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission this summer, alleging problems in the initial selection process.

Licensees are (facilities also approved in June noted with “*”):

Integrated facility licenses:
- Insa Alabama
- *Flowerwood Medical Cannabis, based in Loxley
- *Southeast Cannabis Company, based in Theodore
- *Sustainable Alabama, based in Salem
- *TheraTrue Alabama, based in Demopolis
Cultivator licenses:
- *Gulf Shore Remedies, based in Fairhope
- *Pure by Sirmon Farms, based in Daphne
- *Blackberry Farms, based in Dothan
- *Twisted Herb Cultivation, based in Greenville
- I Am Farms
- Greenway Botanicals
- CRC of Alabama
Processor licenses:
- *Enchanted Green, based in Dothan
- *1819 Labs, based in Dothan
- *Organic Harvest Lab, based in Bessemer
- *Jasper Development Group, based in Jasper
Dispensary licenses:
- *Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, owned by Yellowhammer Holistics and based in Birmingham
- *CCS of Alabama, based in Birmingham
- *RJK Holdings AL, based in Montgomery
- *Statewide Property Holdings AL, owned by Statewide Property Holdings with locations in Cullman, Foley and Gadsden
Secure transport licenses:
- *Tyler Van Lines, based in Troy
- *International Communication, based in Birmingham
- XLCR
State testing laboratory license
- *Certus Laboratories, based in Grand Bay