Alabama Cannabis Commission Faces Major Audit Issues

0:00Here's more Birmingham news from March 20th. A state audit just revealed five major slip-ups by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission in following laws and rules. The biggest was overpaying a legal vendor by $200,000 on a $400,000 contract due to poor payment tracking. Auditors also flagged records management issues, violations of the Open Meetings Act, a botched fee schedule, and a new rule clashing with state law. That rule demands patients report lost or stolen cards in just 72 hours while the law allows 10 days. The commission handles everything from growing and testing medical cannabis to sales and public interest is booming. About 20 cities, like Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, are now green lighting dispensaries to open down the line. In reviewing minutes from 62 meetings, officials found missing details on attendance numbers and executive session times, plus one notice, lacking a meeting location. The group still hasn't set key fees for patient cards, renewals, or business licenses

1:03despite pulling in nearly $2.8 million in. Fees since 2022, with medical cannabis expanding fast in Alabama, expect the commission to address these fixes soon to keep operations smooth and legal.