Will Alabama's Third Try At Cannabis Licensing Be The Charm? Judge Says Not So Fast, Here's Why

Alabama's cannabis regulator believes redoing the medical cannabis license allocation for the third time might be the charm. But Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson, who recently initiated a temporary restraining order that halted the ongoing licensing process, does not share that opinion, reported WSFA.

What Happened

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) asked the court on Thursday to reinstate the licensing process and allow it to reward business licenses yet again, following the first two failed attempts.

The process would be public this time, AMCC said during one of its many appearances on the court over the past few months. Numerous companies sued the commission over closed-door meetings.

However, the judge decided to maintain the pause until a scheduled preliminary hearing on Monday, Aug. 28, that would address the possible Open Meetings Act violations allegedly committed by the AMCC.

The judge's decision answers a legal action brought by a medical cannabis company this summer. Alabama Always LLC sued the state regulator for its faulty cannabis licensing process and also for improperly deleting meeting recordings in a separate lawsuit, seeking a temporary restraining order to block the licenses from being issued.

More Transparency, Please

Will Somerville, who represents several businesses affected by delays said the "entire process has been shrouded in secrecy."

AMCC allegedly breached Alabama's Open Meetings Act by entering into an executive session to evaluate their businesses prior to granting licenses, he said.

"Nobody knows exactly what was discussed then," Somerville said. "So we think that the debate needs to be in public so everybody can know what's going on."

Verano Joins Push Against Faulty Licensing Process

Chicago-based Verano Holdings Corp. VRNO VRNOF was last among many affected medical cannabis businesses statewide to file a lawsuit against the commission on Monday.

Why? Verano Alabama, LLC, a joint venture established by Verano, secured Alabama's highly sought-after Integrated Facility License in June as part of the commission's first attempt to award cannabis licenses. It then lost its chance to get a share of the state market. In the process of redoing the license allocation in August, cannabis regulator AMCC chose Insa Alabama LLC instead.

Darren Weiss, president of Verano Holdings, is a speaker at the upcoming Benzinga's event in Chicago. He'll undoubtedly have more news on the company's challenges in Alabama.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, is returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices increase and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

Photo: Beniznga edit of photo by Shutterstock