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

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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. 

Legal challenges to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s licensing awards have been spearheaded by unsuccessful applicants for “Integrated Facility Licenses.” Under the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ 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. 

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 Commission’s own regulations.

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Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission fights back against deposition demands, joins applicant’s 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. 

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. 

The Commission has argued that the original lawsuits against it are “void” because of the Alabama Constitution’s provision of “sovereign immunity” 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.

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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 Court’s order preventing it from taking action in the licensure process should be dissolved, too. 

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 “protective” measure. But the Commission and Trulieve Alabama have argued that “duplicative” lawsuits are clearly not permitted under Alabama law and must be dismissed as well.  

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.

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Settlement reached in Alabama medical cannabis lawsuits

The unsuccessful applicants’ request for a longer-than-typical briefing timeline delays the Court’s ability to rule on the pending motions for at least five more weeks. 

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 applicants’ moves in the Circuit Court have caused the pending appeals to be put on the back-burner. 

The Legislature passed the Compassion Act in 2021. Almost three years later, Alabama’s 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 Alabama’s neighboring states have medical cannabis programs up and running.

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

Don’t miss out!  Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.





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Alabama Shakes Set Spring 2026 Tour Dates

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Alabama Shakes Set Spring 2026 Tour Dates


Alabama Shakes have lined up a string of North American tour dates for 2026. Brittany Howard and the band’s spring run includes multiple stops in Florida and a concluding two-night stint at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado. Check out the new dates, plus their previously announced festival shows, European itinerary, and Zach Bryan support dates, below.

Support for the headline shows comes from Joy Oladokun, Mon Rovîa, Lamont Landers, and JJ Grey & Mofro. For every ticket sold, $1 will go towards nonprofits around the United States via the Alabama Shakes Fund, a press release notes. There is, as yet, no word on a follow-up to the band’s 2015 album, Sound & Color, but they did sign to Island this year and release their first single since that record.

Alabama Shakes:

04-16 Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront ~
04-17 Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena ~
04-18 Charleston, SC – High Water Fest
04-22 Memphis, TN – Grind City Amphitheater +
04-24 Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park +
04-25 Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater +
04-26 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre %
04-28 Tallahassee, FL – Adderley Amphitheater %
04-29 Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater %
04-30 Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound %
05-02 New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-24 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
05-25 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
06-13 Manchester, Tennessee – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
07-01 Leeds, England – Millennium Square
07-02 Wasing, England – On the Mount at Wasing
07-03 London, England – Alexandra Palace *
07-05 Ghent, Belgium – Gent Jazz Festival
07-07 Lucca, Italy – Summer Festival
07-09 Lisbon, Portugal – NOS Alive Festival
07-10 Bilbao, Spain – BBK Live
07-11 Madrid, Spain – Noches del Botanico
07-25 Eugene, OR – Autzen Stadium ^
09-19 Dover, DE – The Woodlands ^

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~ with Joy Oladokun
+ with Mon Rovîa
% with Lamont Landers
# with JJ Grey & Mofro
* with Tyler Ballgame
^ supporting Zach Bryan



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

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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.

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

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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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