Alabama coalition calls for medical cannabis access

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — Medical cannabis was legalized in Alabama in 2021.

With the licensing process still in limbo, the Patients Coalition for Medical Cannabis said access to the drug is needed more than ever.

“It’s time to stop playing all the games and stop acting so befuddled about this,” said Mike Dow, the former mayor of Mobile.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission is charged with awarding licenses to dispensaries. The commission faces an onslaught of lawsuits after some applicants say they did not receive a fair consideration for a license. The coalition said the lawsuits are keeping dispensaries from operating.

“The march towards getting this to sick people: It has been inevitable, it has been slow, it has been opposed every step of the way,” said former state Rep. Mike Ball.

Dr. Corey Hebert is a professor and physician from New Orleans.

“The risk of opioids are so much higher and far outweigh the benefits and medical cannabis, for the appropriate patient, is what they need,” Hebert said.

“It’s also good for our economy,” said Dr. Marshall Walker, of Mobile. “Alright, this is an agricultural product. There’s processing. There’s research. There’s testing. Many, many, many good things spring from this well.”

Amanda Taylor, of Cullman, is a patient advocate for medical cannabis. She said pharmaceuticals always have side effects, unlike cannabis.

“With seven debilitating diseases that I fight, they have horrible side effects. … versus cannabis, as you heard them say earlier, there’s nobody in the hospital because they’ve overdosed on cannabis,” Taylor said.

Will Somerville is a lawyer with Baker Donelson. He has taken legal action against the commission after his client was not awarded a license. He said the cannabis commission needs to do it job.

“Follow the law. Award the licenses to people who can do the job,” Somerville said. “That’s the fastest way to get medical cannabis to the people who need it.”

Somerville said the licensing litigation is in the hands of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. He expects them to issue a decision any day now.