Alabama Pauses Medical Cannabis Licensing Due to ‘Potential Inconsistencies’ in Scoring Data Tabulation

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) on Friday voted to pause all proceedings related to the issuance of medical cannabis licenses in the state after the agency’s “discovery of potential inconsistencies in the tabulation of scoring data.” 

The stay comes just four days after the AMCC awarded its first medical cannabis licenses to four cultivators, four processors, four dispensaries, five integrated facilities, three secure transporters, and one testing laboratory.    

In a statement, AMCC Director John McMillan said the agency “will work expeditiously to investigate and identify inconsistencies in the score data.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are suspending all current procedural timelines until those matters are resolved.” — McMillan in a press release 

The commission indicated it plans to seek an independent review of all scoring data before proceeding with licensing.  

The stay issued by the commission impacts the following procedural requirements of the program: 

• Applicants who were awarded a license on June 12, 2023, are not required to pay the license fee by June 26, 2023. 
• Applicants who were denied award of license on June 12, 2023, are not required to submit a request for an investigative hearing by June 26, 2023. 
• Licenses that were awarded on June 12, 2023, will not issue on July 10, 2023. 

The stay will remain in effect until lifted by the commission and, once lifted, the AMCC will reconsider the award of licenses, and provide a timeline for the payment of license fees, request for investigative hearings, and issuance of licenses.