Alabama

Alabama’s medical cannabis industry faces continued delay from unsuccessful applicants – Yellowhammer News

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2024

Alabama’s medical cannabis industry faces continued delay from unsuccessful applicants – Yellowhammer News

As a result of the most recent lawsuits and motions filed in Montgomery Circuit Court by unsuccessful business applicants, the process of getting an official medical cannabis operation up and running in Alabama will be delayed at least another five weeks.Â

Legal challenges to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commissionâs licensing awards have been spearheaded by unsuccessful applicants for âIntegrated Facility Licenses.â Under the Darren Wesley âAtoâ Hall Compassion Act, Integrated Facility Licenses permit a total of five individual businesses to engage in every aspect of the medical cannabis industry, from planting the seeds to prescribing the final product to patients.Â

Unsuccessful applicants Southeast Cannabis Company, TheraTrue, Jemmstone, Alabama Always, Insa, and Bragg Canna, have all filed multiple lawsuits against the Commission, and have all now sued the Commissioners themselves.

The unsuccessful applicants have raised several claims over the past ten months, primarily accusing the Commission of failing to comply with the Compassion Act and the Commissionâs own regulations.

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission fights back against deposition demands, joins applicantâs appeal

Their assertions that the Commission failed to follow its own regulations when awarding licenses in December 2023 resulted in the court entering an order prohibiting the Commission from moving forward with the licensure process in any way.Â

The Commission and one successful Integrated Facility Applicant, Trulieve Alabama, have moved to dismiss all of the pending the lawsuits in the hopes of moving the process along.Â

The Commission has argued that the original lawsuits against it are âvoidâ because of the Alabama Constitutionâs provision of âsovereign immunityâ to state agencies like the Commission. Sovereign immunity is a legal doctrine that prevents individuals or companies from suing the State or its agencies directly.

Plaintiffs can often easily get around sovereign immunity by naming state officers themselves, rather than the State or the agency.

Most medical marijuana licenses expected to be issued

Most, if not all, of the unsuccessful companies did not name the Commissioners themselves in their original suits, the Commission argues. Consequently, the Commission says that those lawsuits should be dismissed and that the Courtâs order preventing it from taking action in the licensure process should be dissolved, too.Â

Last week, the unsuccessful applicants filed new lawsuits raising the same claims that they had already raised because of sovereign-immunity challenges to their original, still-pending lawsuits.

The unsuccessful applicants assert that their new lawsuits are merely a âprotectiveâ measure. But the Commission and Trulieve Alabama have argued that âduplicativeâ lawsuits are clearly not permitted under Alabama law and must be dismissed as well.Â Â

At the latest hearing on March 11, the unsuccessful applicants asked for an extended briefing schedule on the various motions to dismiss to accommodate an upcoming spring break for Alabama schools.

Settlement reached in Alabama medical cannabis lawsuits

The unsuccessful applicantsâ request for a longer-than-typical briefing timeline delays the Courtâs ability to rule on the pending motions for at least five more weeks.Â

In addition to the lawsuits pending in the Montgomery Circuit Court, multiple orders from the Circuit Court have been challenged in the Court of Civil Appeals, which has been ordering briefing on a more expedited basis. However, the unsuccessful applicantsâ moves in the Circuit Court have caused the pending appeals to be put on the back-burner.Â

The Legislature passed the Compassion Act in 2021. Almost three years later, Alabamaâs medical cannabis program has not left the cradle. Lawsuits from Southeast Cannabis Company, TheraTrue, Jemmstone, Alabama Always, Insa, 3 Notch and Bragg Canna have slowed the process down and stalled the beginning of production, which was planned to begin last summer.

With the exception of Tennessee, all of Alabamaâs neighboring states have medical cannabis programs up and running.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on TwitterÂ @Grayson270

Donât miss out! Â Subscribe today to have Alabamaâs leading headlines delivered to your inbox.

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Alabama

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

Published

7 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.

The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.

The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.

Up next

Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.

Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Alabama

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Published

19 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.

The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.

The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.

We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?

The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?

Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?

We’re so appreciative of our sponsors who make the show possible. Check out Derek Daniel State Farm in Alabama for your insurance needs. We’re also proud to partner with Purple Turtle Roofing on the program. From your first call to the final nail, our mission is to make sure you feel confident, cared for, and covered, literally.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

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Alabama

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – As holiday deliveries ramp up, a new Alabama law aims to deter package theft by raising penalties for so-called “porch piracy.” The law, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, makes repeated package theft a felony and can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years in the most serious cases.

What changed

Previously, many package thefts in Alabama were charged as misdemeanor theft because the value of individual stolen packages often fell below felony thresholds. Under the new law however, lawmakers established penalties that focus on the number of homes targeted rather than the dollar value of items stolen:

Stealing from 1 to 9 homes: most serious misdemeanor
Stealing from 10 to 29 homes: felony
Stealing from 30 or more homes: can result in up to 10 years in prison

The law also increases penalties if stolen packages are used to commit identity theft or fraud. In addition, anyone who knowingly receives packages stolen by a porch pirate can be charged under the new rules.

Lawmakers weigh in

Senator April Weaver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the change was meant to protect Alabama families during the holidays.

“It was really important to protect the people not only in my district but throughout the state of Alabama and to make sure their hard-earned money is going to their children’s Christmas,” she said.

On camera, Senator Weaver added with holiday humor, “It means the Grinch may have stolen Christmas in Whoville, but if he does it in Alabama, he’ll have plenty of time in state prison for his heart to grow three sizes.”

What police recommend if your package is stolen

If you discover a stolen package, law enforcement recommends:

Report the theft to police immediately.
Preserve any doorbell or surveillance footage that may show the theft.
Contact the delivery company right away to report the missing item.
Consider requiring a signature on delivery to reduce the risk of theft.

The law went into effect on October 1, 2025; this December marks the first holiday season it is in effect. Alabama is now one of more than a dozen states that have passed laws specifically targeting package theft. Supporters say the law sends a stronger message that porch piracy will no longer be treated as a minor offense.

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