To put it bluntly, the process of bringing medical marijuana to Alabama has not gotten off to a smooth start.

So far, there have been two pauses on the issuing of licenses alone and the first chairman of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission resigned before medical marijuana products are even available for purchase in the state.

The first pause was put in place after inconsistencies were reported in granting licenses to businesses.

The second came after multiple lawsuits were filed by companies who were denied licenses. One of the lawsuits, filed by Alabama Always, said the commission violated the Open Meetings Act, alleging that it voted on applications during a closed executive session at a recent meeting.

Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn discussed when Alabamians may actually see medical marijuana products available for purchase.

“Our intent is hopefully before we see 2024 we will have something made available that’s coming out in dispensaries across our state,” he said.

Even though it has not been a smooth process, Vaughn said he still has faith in the timeline.

“I think it’s still realistic we can get there but that also depends on litigation that we have in front of us, we can’t foresee that,” he said.

Alva Lambert with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Association said the lengthy process to begin a medical marijuana program within the state is similar to what other states encountered when implementing their own program.

“It is not dissimilar from other jurisdictions,” Lambert told Yellowhammer News. “It’s a highly competitive field with some heavy hitters involved in the process. So you would expect it to be contentious, competitive and I think it’s borne out what the expectations were.

“It’s certainly not different from other jurisdictions that have had difficulty getting started. Florida and Georgia were both delayed significantly with litigation.”

As of Aug. 10, the Alabama Cannabis Commission had awarded 24 licenses for businesses that either cultivate, process, transport, dispense, and/or test medical cannabis products.

A hearing on the issue of the licenses is scheduled for Aug. 28 in Montgomery.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.