TALLADEGA, Ala. – After years of legal challenges, delays, and administrative disputes, Alabama’s long-stalled medical marijuana program is taking a significant step forward.
Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery opened on Monday, May 4, becoming one of the first medical cannabis dispensaries to begin serving qualified patients in the state. Additional dispensaries are expected to open soon, including locations in Talladega and neighboring Oxford.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has voted to award dispensary licenses to four companies, each authorized to operate up to three locations. The approvals pave the way for as many as 12 dispensaries statewide.
The four approved dispensary license holders are GP6 Wellness LLC, RJK Holdings LLC, CCS of Alabama LLC, and Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries LLC.
One dispensary license issued to Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries remains subject to a temporary stay. The commission is scheduled to revisit the matter later this month as part of a separate challenge filed by Capitol Medical LLC.
Meanwhile, physicians who have completed the state-required training course have begun submitting patient certification applications. Under Alabama law, medical cannabis may be recommended for a specific list of qualifying conditions, including cancer-related pain, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease, sickle cell disease, terminal illnesses, and certain cases of chronic pain when conventional treatments have proven ineffective.
Products available through licensed dispensaries will be limited to non-smokable forms of medical cannabis. Approved products include tablets, capsules, tinctures, topical oils and creams, transdermal patches, suppositories, and inhalable liquids administered through approved devices.
State law continues to prohibit the sale of raw marijuana flower, vaping products, and marijuana-infused foods such as candies, baked goods, and other edible products.
