What's next: Alabama judge overturns medical marijuana licenses, halts relief for suffering patients

FORECAST COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. TAYLOR THANKS. THE ALABAMA MEDICAL CANNABIS COMMISSION, FACING SCRUTINY. THIS COMES AFTER A JUDGE OVERTURNED LICENSES ISSUED TO MEDICAL CANNABIS GROWERS. WE FIRST BROUGHT YOU THIS STORY ON WEDNESDAY. ��13’S ERIN LLEWELLYN TOOK AN INSIDE LOOK AT WHAT LED TO THIS ONGOING LEGAL BATTLE. WHILE THE COMMISSION CONTINUES TO HOLD ON TO THESE IMPROPERLY ISSUED LICENSES. AWARDED LICENSES? EXCUSE ME, IS SIMPLY BEYOND COMPREHENSION. SO THE FIGHT TO BRING MEDICAL CANNABIS TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA CONTINUES. LICENSES WERE ISSUED TO MEDICAL CANNABIS GROWERS THREE TIMES ALREADY, MOST RECENTLY IN DECEMBER 2023, BUT A JUDGE REVOKED THEM ON TUESDAY. WE’VE BEEN OPERATING ON AN ORDER THAT JUDGE ANDERSON ISSUED IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER OF 23, DIRECTING US TO USE THE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN THE EMERGENCY RULE, WHICH NOW HE’S DECLARED INVALID. JOHN MCMILLAN IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALABAMA MEDICAL CANNABIS COMMISSION. HE SAYS IT APPROVED LICENSES FOR FOUR MEDICAL CANNABIS GROWERS ACROSS THE STATE. THOSE WHO APPLIED AND WERE NOT APPROVED ARE CALLING FOR A FAIR PROCESS. THE FIGHT THAT WE’VE HAD WITH THE CANNABIS COMMISSION FOR TWO YEARS NOW HAS BEEN THEY SHOULD HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE ALABAMA ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE ACT IN AWARDING THOSE LICENSES. ALABAMA ALWAYS ATTORNEY WILL SOMERVILLE IS REPRESENTING A COMPANY WHO APPLIED FOR A LICENSE AND WAS DENIED. HE CLAIMS THE COMMISSION NEVER HOSTED HEARINGS FOR APPLICANTS TO PRESENT THEIR BUSINESS PLANS OR CREATED A PATIENT REGISTRY FOR THOSE APPROVED FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS USE. YOU KNOW, WE’D BE HAPPY TO SHOW ANYBODY. IT’S ALL TRANSPARENT. ALL THAT’S BEEN ON OUR WEBSITE FOR MANY, MANY MONTH

The legal battle in the Alabama saga of medical marijuana continues. A judge revoked medical marijuana licenses given to growers in December 2023 on Tuesday, bringing relief for patients suffering from medical conditions to a pause.This is the third time a judge has revoked those licenses for medical marijuana growers. Now, parties on both sides are looking to file appeals to either get the judge’s decision to revoke licenses overturned or to start the application process over.“It’s time for them to admit that they have to follow the Administrative Procedure Act and follow the law,�� Will Somerville, an Alabama Always attorney, said, “and if they had done this from the beginning, we would have medical cannabis now.”Somerville is accusing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission of not following protocol to fairly give out those licenses. He’s representing a company that applied for a license but was denied and is fighting for a fair judgment. Others feel this legal battle is keeping people who are suffering from getting the help they need.The Alabama Cannabis Coalition is hosting a rally on Tuesday in Montgomery to protest limiting legal access to medical marijuana and calls it a crime against humanity. John McMillan with the medical cannabis commission says he doesn’t care who’s awarded licenses. His goal is to help people in need.“One of the veterans organizations told me that since 9/11, we’ve had about 7,500 military personnel killed in some type of engagement,�� McMillan said. “During that same period of time, we’ve had a little over 40,000 veterans commit suicide, and PTSD seems to be one of the main things that veterans are very much interested in. Just that one statistic alone is mind-blowing, and it seems almost heartless for people to keep on just delaying tactics to keep this program from going because powerful interests have not had that will in what happens with the program.”McMillan believes once the appeal is filed it should only take a matter of days for the judge to make a decision. If the judge upholds revoking the licenses that were awarded in December 2023, the process for awarding them would have to start over. That would be a win for Somerville and his client.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

This is the third time a judge has revoked those licenses for medical marijuana growers. Now, parties on both sides are looking to file appeals to either get the judge’s decision to revoke licenses overturned or to start the application process over.

“It’s time for them to admit that they have to follow the Administrative Procedure Act and follow the law,�� Will Somerville, an Alabama Always attorney, said, “and if they had done this from the beginning, we would have medical cannabis now.��

Somerville is accusing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission of not following protocol to fairly give out those licenses. He’s representing a company that applied for a license but was denied and is fighting for a fair judgment. Others feel this legal battle is keeping people who are suffering from getting the help they need.

The Alabama Cannabis Coalition is hosting a rally on Tuesday in Montgomery to protest limiting legal access to medical marijuana and calls it a crime against humanity. John McMillan with the medical cannabis commission says he doesn’t care who’s awarded licenses. His goal is to help people in need.

“One of the veterans organizations told me that since 9/11, we’ve had about 7,500 military personnel killed in some type of engagement,�� McMillan said. “During that same period of time, we’ve had a little over 40,000 veterans commit suicide, and PTSD seems to be one of the main things that veterans are very much interested in. Just that one statistic alone is mind-blowing, and it seems almost heartless for people to keep on just delaying tactics to keep this program from going because powerful interests have not had that will in what happens with the program.��

McMillan believes once the appeal is filed it should only take a matter of days for the judge to make a decision. If the judge upholds revoking the licenses that were awarded in December 2023, the process for awarding them would have to start over. That would be a win for Somerville and his client.

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What's next: Alabama judge overturns medical marijuana licenses, halts relief for suffering patients

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