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Alabama Officials Approve Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licenses, Readying Program For Sales To Start In 2026

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“I’m absolutely delighted today that we’re on the verge of having a work programme.”

By Anna Barrett, Alabama Reflector

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Board on Thursday approved three dispensary licenses in what board members called a critical step. making medical cannabis available in Alabama Almost five years after the legislature enacted the program.

“We’ve waited a long time to get to this point where we can make a decision like this, and it’s monumental,” said board chairman Rex Vaughn. “It’s a milestone for us, so I’m excited we can get this far.”

GP6 Wellness, RJK Holdings and CCS will receive Alabama dispensary licenses within 28 days, as long as the companies pay a $40,000 licensing fee. A fourth license will be approved by the board in late January based on a recommendation from an administrative law judge, Vaughn said after the meeting.

Vaughn said several times at the meeting that the approval of the dispensary licenses is a milestone and will provide the care patients need and tax revenue for the state.

“It takes time to get through the system, but we should be seeing revenue by spring at the latest,” Vaughn said.

Alabama’s cannabis law, passed in 2021, allows registered doctors to prescribe cannabis for about 15 medical conditions, including cancer, depression, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, sickle cell anemia, chronic pain and terminal illnesses. Acceptable product forms are limited to tablets, tinctures, patches, oils, and gummies (peach flavor only), herbal raw materials and smoking forms are prohibited.

People suffering from the conditions must obtain a doctor’s authorization and enter the patient registry to purchase products at a pharmacy.

Lawsuits have also hindered access to medical cannabis. Some companies sued the commission for not issuing licenses, citing a discriminatory process. In another case there were five Parents sued the board over delays in accessing cannabiswhich was released in August.

As of Thursday, the commission has issued licenses to nine growers, four processors, four transporters and three dispensaries. There is also a patient on the registry, Vaughn said.

Vaughn could not provide a specific timeline for when the product will be available for purchase, but estimated spring 2026. Earlier this year, AMCC Executive Director John McMillan expressed hope to have medical cannabis available to patients by the end of 2025.

“We need to get our medical certified quickly. All of those things are being arranged as we speak right now, and we’ll see how the winter goes,” Vaughn said. “Hopefully all these things will be implemented fairly quickly.”

Sam Blakemore, a pharmacist and board member, said in an interview after the meeting that medical cannabis can help relieve symptoms without side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

“Everyone focuses on Delta-9, but there are over 120 chemicals in the plant that are able to provide this whole-body experience to allow patients to really get relief when they have nausea and vomiting and spasticity,” Blakemore said.

Blakemore primarily prescribes drugs for pediatric oncology patients. He brought his wife and two young children to the meeting to celebrate the approval of the licenses.

“I’m not going to say that cannabis is a cure, but the most important thing to get that right now is at least people, I call patients and in the state where I close them, they can get relief,” Blakemore said. “They can’t get relief from opioids. They can’t get relief from gabapentin. They might finally be able to try something.”

Supporters of medicinal cannabis attended the meeting on Thursday.

Amanda Taylor, a medical cannabis patient advocate, has been part of the commission’s process since 2021. He has multiple brain and spinal injuries.

“I am very happy today because we are on the point of having a work program,” he said in an interview after the meeting.

This story was first published by the Alabama Reflector.

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Speakeasy Dispensary announces opening of newest Kentucky location

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Speakeasy Dispensary will officially open its newest medical cannabis location in Kentucky at 108 E. Main St., Princeton, KY 42445, further expanding access to patients in Caldwell County and surrounding communities.

The dispensary will open at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 10 for registered medical cannabis patients.

Located in the heart of downtown Princeton, the space reflects Speakeasy’s vision to blend local character and a comfortable, patient-first experience. The carefully designed environment provides a welcoming entrance before patients enter the main sales floor, where trained team members provide personalized guidance and education tailored to the individual’s needs.

“Each new location is an opportunity to meet patients where they are,” said Casey Flippo, CEO of Gold Leaf Management. “Communities like Princeton are an important part of Kentucky’s medical cannabis program, and expanding access here means more patients can explore safe and regulated options closer to home. As the program continues to take shape, our focus remains on building something reliable, accessible and rooted in long-term care.”

Opening weekend will feature a low-cost patient drive, offering new and existing patients an affordable and streamlined way to obtain or renew their Kentucky cannabis license.

© Speakeasy Dispensary

In partnership with the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Association and LexMed & Wellness, patient tours will be held Friday, April 10th from 11:00am to 7:00pm and Saturday, April 11th from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Appointments will be made with a licensed provider in a mobile unit on site, so patients can complete the entire process, including assessment, notary and state filing, in one visit.

Patients can register for an appointment by clicking here. The appointment fee is $25, and an additional $25 state fee must be paid when submitting documents to the state portal. The $25 state fee is waived for anyone who received a valid medical card in 2025.

As Kentucky’s medical cannabis market continues to develop, product availability and selection will continue to grow along with additional growers and processors entering the space. In addition to flowers and gummies, Speakeasy Princeton plans to have an extensive menu soon after opening, which will include vapes and concentrates, along with a new variety of gummies. Speakeasy continues to focus on providing a consistent education-first experience supported by strong statewide partnerships.

For more information:
Speakeasy Dispensary
speakeasydispensaries.com/

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West Virginia Treasurer Allocates Medical Marijuana Revenue Despite Governor’s Veto

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“The issue is not whether the funds should be used, but how they are used and how we are doing it in a responsible and sustainable way.”

By Henry Culvyhouse, Mountain State Spotlight

This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight. Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox once a week; sign up for the free newsletter at https://mountainstatespotlight.org/newsletter.

Even with the veto he could have delayed it further $38 million spent on medical marijuana raised over the past four years, state Treasurer Larry Pack (R) now says he will release the funds during his original term.

Last week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) vetoed a bill that would have required the release of medical marijuana funds to help the homeless and expedite child abuse and neglect cases in the court system. He said the bill tied up money for future expenses.

In his veto letter, Morrisey wrote, “West Virginia needs to do a better job of planning for the future, and cannot fully pre-commit future revenue like this if it has reserves to invest more in roads, water, sewer, site selection, rail and future tax cuts.”

Morrisey said he was willing to negotiate with the Legislature on how to spend the money.

“The issue is not whether the funds should be used, but how they are used and whether we are doing so responsibly and sustainably,” Lars Dalseide, a spokesman for the governor’s office, wrote in an email.

But the money was pre-committed in state code.

Pack’s office said 100 percent of that money will go to various offices and programs mandated by the original law; more than half to the Office of Medical Cannabis, with the remaining funds split between the substance abuse treatment grant program and law enforcement grants. The move negates the governor’s desire to use future reserves to deal with infrastructure and tax cuts.

In October, a Mountain State Spotlight investigation revealed that $34 million was deposited into an account held by the Treasury Department from the state’s medical marijuana program..

Pack’s office said the money it was not spent due to legal concerns about the drug. Currently, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I narcotic under federal law, meaning it has no medical use and is illegal.

Pack is not the first state treasurer to express concern. State Treasurer John Perdue (D) said his office would not keep money in 2018 after the Medical Cannabis Act was passed. Riley Moore (R), who beat Perdue in the 2020 race, never released the money.

In the 2026 Legislative Session, Del. Rep. Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, said he read a report on the funds raised and wanted to change it. He successfully led a bill that would have forced the state to spend money on a commission to help thousands of children with abuse and neglect in court and homelessness services.

Had the governor not vetoed the bill, the money would have been earmarked for one year for those things. The commission on substance abuse research, treatment, and abuse and neglect would continue for years to come.

Treasurer’s Office spokeswoman Carrie Smith said that due to the complexity of state and federal laws, the office had been working for months to release the money. He said that the money has been sent to the Department of Security and the Department of Health.

This the article appeared for the first time The focus of the Mountain State and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 4.0 International License.

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Critical updates for cannabis taxpayers as the 2025 filing deadline approaches

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With the April 2025 tax return filing deadline fast approaching, cannabis companies must once again face the burden of Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 280E”). Despite significant developments over the past year — including a major executive order from President Trump and the IRS, for the first time, disclosing legal reasoning funds to keep state cannabis “within the meaning” of Section 280E — taxpayer scrutiny remains the same.

However, whether substantively or psychologically, these recent developments weigh on how taxpayers should deal with Section 280E. Below, we summarize the key developments that cannabis taxpayers should be aware of as they prepare their 2025 returns.

As discussed in previous publications, Section 280E provides: “(e) no deduction or credit shall be allowed for any amount paid or incurred in the course of any trade or business during the taxable year, if such trade or business (or the activities constituting such trade or business) is trafficking in controlled substances (controlled substance classes I and II prohibited by State or Federal law).

Because cannabis is now listed as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the IRS has consistently maintained that Section 280E applies to state-licensed cannabis businesses, significantly increasing their effective tax rates.

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