Alabama’s long-anticipated medical cannabis program is on the verge of becoming operational as the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has recently taken significant steps toward implementation. Cullman County is set to be a future site for dispensaries, following years of regulatory delays and legal challenges. Authorized by the Alabama Legislature in 2021 through the Darren Wesley “Ato” Hall Compassion Act, the program allows medical cannabis use under a tightly regulated system, while recreational cannabis remains illegal.
In December 2025, the commission voted to issue the state’s first dispensary licenses. This decision represents a crucial advancement after over two years of stalled implementation due to repeated pauses, rescinded decisions, and court interventions. Several dispensary locations are planned across Alabama, including one in Cullman County, although products are not yet available for purchase, and an official opening date has not been announced. State officials confirm that the program has entered its final administrative phase.
The medical cannabis program in Alabama is among the most restrictive nationwide. Smoking or vaping marijuana is prohibited, and raw plant materials will not be sold. Permitted products include capsules, tablets, tinctures, topical creams, gels, oils, transdermal patches, suppositories, nebulizers, and measured inhalers. All cannabis sold must be cultivated, processed, and dispensed within the state by licensed businesses overseen by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.
Cullman County’s involvement in the medical cannabis initiative has been significantly influenced by local company Wagon Trail Med-Serv. The firm pursued an integrated facility license to allow cultivation, processing, and dispensing. In June 2023, the commission initially awarded these licenses but later placed them on hold due to inconsistencies in application scoring. Wagon Trail Med-Serv was among those affected.
Following an emergency meeting, the commission reissued licenses in August 2023, but Wagon Trail Med-Serv was denied an integrated facility license for a second time. The company appealed this decision and continued discussions with state regulators. In December 2023, the commission awarded integrated facility licenses again, with Wagon Trail Med-Serv among the selected businesses, leading to pre-issuance inspections and progress toward final licensure.
Joey Robertson, CEO of Wagon Trail Med-Serv, expressed commitment to ensuring patient access despite the lengthy delays. “We have had such good support locally; it’s been tremendous and so positive,” he stated. “We just want to get this medicine to people that need it.”
In early January 2024, legal challenges temporarily slowed the rollout. A restraining order halted the issuance of integrated facility licenses statewide. Robertson affirmed that inspections indicated the company was ready, saying, “The pre-issuance inspection went well. We were able to demonstrate that everything in our application was factual and ahead of our initial projected timelines.”
Court actions later resolved much of the remaining litigation, allowing the commission to resume the licensing process throughout 2024 and into 2025. By late 2025, the commission began issuing dispensary licenses statewide, marking a transition from planning to implementation.
Currently, no cannabis cultivation or processing facilities operate in Cullman County. State licensing records still indicate the county as a dispensary location, pending final approvals, zoning, and permitting. Under Alabama law, physicians can register and obtain licenses to recommend medical cannabis for eligible patients. They must hold an active Alabama medical license and complete necessary training to register with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.
Once approved, physicians can certify that a patient has a qualifying condition, enabling them to apply for a medical cannabis card through the state system for purchases only from licensed dispensaries. Physicians do not provide traditional prescriptions; instead, they issue a certification entered into the state’s medical cannabis registry.
Patients must be state residents with a qualifying condition and must be evaluated in person by a licensed physician. Telemedicine evaluations are not permitted. If approved, the physician enters the recommendation into the state registry, allowing patients to complete their registration for a medical cannabis card. Registered caregivers undergo background checks and are limited in the number of patients they can serve.
State and local law enforcement agencies emphasize that marijuana remains illegal outside the confines of the Compassion Act. Possession without a valid medical card, or exceeding program limits, remains a criminal offense, and impaired driving laws have not changed. Physicians who participate in the program are regulated by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and cannot hold financial interests in cannabis businesses or receive compensation from licensed operators.
With dispensary licenses now issued and major legal challenges resolved, state officials are focusing on final inspections, permitting, and patient certification. Dispensary operators are securing locations, physicians are preparing to certify patients, and the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission continues its administrative oversight. For residents of Cullman County with qualifying medical conditions, the upcoming months could represent the first opportunity for legal access to medical cannabis locally. Officials caution that the rollout will be measured and tightly regulated.
