Alabama Officials Issue First Batch of Medical Cannabis Business Licenses

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) voted at its June 12 meeting to issue the state’s first batch of medical cannabis business licenses.

The commission announced Monday that it would award 21 licenses to cultivators, processors, dispensaries, transporters, laboratories and integrated facilities.

The AMCC plans to issue the licenses to the following businesses in the following categories:

Integrated Facility License

• Flowerwood Medical Cannabis, LLC
• Southeast Cannabis Company, LLC
• Sustainable Alabama, LLC
• TheraTrue Alabama, LLC
• Verano Alabama, LLC

Cultivator License

• Blackberry Farms, LLC
• Gulf Shore Remedies, LLC
• Pure by Sirmon Farms, LLC
• Twisted Herb Cultivation, LLC

Processor License

• 1819 Labs, LLC
• Enchanted Green, LLC
• Jasper Development Group Inc.
• Organic Harvest Lab, LLC

Dispensary License

• CCS of Alabama, LLC
• RJK Holdings AL, LLC
• Statewide Property Holdings AL, LLC
• Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, LLC

Secure Transport License

• Alabama Secure Transport, LLC
• International Communication, LLC
• Tyler Van Lines, LLC

State Testing Laboratory License

• Certus Laboratories

“We are thrilled to add Alabama to our growing footprint and build on our prior experience obtaining vertical licenses organically in states like New Jersey and Illinois to efficiently increase our operations and strategically expand into new markets,” said Verano founder and CEO George Archos, in a public statement. “We’ve always had a long-term focus on strengthening our position in the South, and with the addition of Alabama to our footprint, we have an excellent opportunity to increase our presence in an important medical market as cannabis acceptance and state-level programs continue to spread across the growing Southeast region.”

The integrated facility license that Verano received will allow the company to operate a cultivation and processing facility, as well as five dispensaries throughout the state. Verano currently operates 14 cultivation and processing facilities, as well as 129 dispensaries, across 13 U.S. states.

“The addition of Alabama as an adjacent market to our expansive Florida operations will allow us to leverage our extensive retail and cultivation expertise in serving Alabama patients our wide variety of high-quality products,” John Tipton, Verano’s President of the Southern Region, said in a public statement. “We look forward to working with the Medical Cannabis Commission, stakeholders, partners and local communities as we move forward towards opening our doors and serving medical patients across the state.”

Per the medical cannabis law that Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law in May 2021, the AMCC could award up to 12 cultivator licenses, four processor licenses, four dispensary licenses, five integrated facility licenses, and an unspecified number of transport and laboratory licenses.

“There was no shortage of qualified individuals and entities who provided applications for us to consider,” AMCC Chairman Steven Stokes said in a public statement. “Based on the evaluators’ assessments and the commission’s considerations, we believe that we have selected an outstanding slate of inaugural licensees to represent Alabama’s new medical cannabis industry.”

The application window closed Dec. 30, 2022, and regulators voted in April to advance 90 applications to the review process. The AMCC selected the University of South Alabama to recruit evaluators to score the applications selected.

“The commission has worked diligently since the passage of the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Act to develop regulations and policies to facilitate an effective and safe medical cannabis industry,” AMCC Director John McMillan said in a public statement. “We are excited to begin working with those applicants who were awarded licenses to meet the needs of so many Alabamians who are living with debilitating conditions that can benefit from medical cannabis.”

The licensees chosen will have 14 days to submit licensing fees to the commission, which will formally issue licenses in each license category at its July 10 meeting.

Physicians can begin the process of certifying patients for the medical cannabis program after the business licenses have been issued.

AMCC Vice Chairman Rex Vaughn announced at Monday’s meeting that the commission plans to open a second licensing round for cultivators, transporters and testing laboratories.

“The commission looks forward to affording more opportunities for individuals to participate in the industry,” Vaughn said. “These businesses will not only serve the patients of Alabama but provide business and job opportunities for local communities.”

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