The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has approved licenses for dispensaries
ByKIM CHANDLER Associated Press
December 11, 2025, 2: 31 PM
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission on Thursday approved licenses for dispensaries, a key step to making medical marijuana available in the state after years of delay.
Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn estimated the products will be available in the spring of 2026. The state’s medical marijuana program has been delayed by false starts and litigation over who should hold the licenses to sell and grow cannabis
“It’s a pivotal day for us. There is no doubt. We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Vaughn said.
The commission on Thursday approved licenses for three dispensary companies. The commission in the coming weeks will consider the license for a fourth dispensary. Each company can operate three storefronts across the state.
The next step will be to get interested physicians certified to issue cannabis cards to patients and to establish a patient registry, Vaughn said.
The day was a long time coming for Amanda Taylor, who has advocated for years for Alabama to begin a medical marijuana program. She used medical cannabis to relieve the symptoms of her multiple sclerosis when she lived in Arizona. Taylor was present when Gov Kay Ivey signed the legislation to authorize the program.
“I’m absolutely elated today because we are on the cusp of having a working program,” Taylor said. Taylor said as a well-known patient advocate that she