Alabama medical cannabis program is now accepting patient registrations!

It has been a long road to getting Alabama’s medical cannabis program launched after several years of lawsuits. But, almost five years after the medical cannabis bill became law, the program is nearing its launch.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission recently awarded the last standalone dispensary license, after a state Appeals Court dismissed a lawsuit holding up the awarding of the license. 

To qualify, a patient must be diagnosed with an approved condition by a physician who is certified to recommend cannabis. There are now five medical professionals certified to recommend cannabis for patients. After the doctor has recommended cannabis, a patient must create a profile in the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s portal. Instructions for the next steps can be found here. Caregiver instructions can be found here.

The program is now nearing its launch, with a few steps remaining. The next step is that the state will open the patient registry in the next few weeks. The registry will issue state identification cards to patients and caregivers. 

It's unclear as to when the licensed dispensaries will open their doors for patients, but it is expected that dispensaries will begin to open by early to mid 2026. You can find the counties that will have dispensaries here.

The Alabama Compassionate Act, SB 46, was signed into law in 2021 by Gov. Kaye Ivey (R). Our overview of the law, including qualifying conditions, can be found here. Alabama has one of the most restrictive medical cannabis laws in the country, but there is no legislation currently pending for expanding the program.