Wait prolonged for medical cannabis patients in Alabama after hearing

MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WIAT ) — In a hearing Tuesday, Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson heard from two applicants who were denied a license to cultivate medical marijuana.

In what’s been a lengthy case against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, patients will have to wait even longer for the drug.

“I’m suffering greatly,” said Amanda Taylor, a medical cannabis patient advocate. “I just spent another stint in the hospital and lost 11 pounds. It was disappointing today.”

Disappointment after Anderson made no immediate decision Tuesday on the case holding up the distribution of medical marijuana in Alabama.

“We have all these lawyers that are keeping everything held back, and it’s not fair to the patients because we are sick,” Taylor said.

But Will Somerville, an attorney representing Alabama Always, disagreed.

“To make sure that the licenses that are issued, when they are issued, are legal and enforceable, and that there can’t be any challenges to that,” Somerville said. “Cause right now, we’ve got a situation where they keep issuing licenses and keep doing so in violation of the law.”

That law is the Alabama Administrative Procedures Act, which governs state agencies. Somerville argues the commission has not abided by this law when issuing licenses.

“Let everybody move forward to try and get some licenses issued in a proper way to people who can actually do the job,” Somerville said.

Other applicants came to the hearing for different reasons. Attorney Bryan Taylor said his client was awarded a license twice by the commission, but it was rescinded after changes in the process.

“At the end of the day, even if the commission wins all of its procedural arguments, we’re just right back to square one,” Taylor said. “So I think a lot of the frustrated applicants just want a final review of this case on the merits.”

Anderson said Tuesday’s hearing was productive for the court. Another hearing will be scheduled soon.

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