Morgan County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Morgan County?

The licensed cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes in Morgan County was legalized by Act 2021-450 of the State of Alabama or the Darren Wesley Hall Compassion Act, signed into law in May 2021. The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) regulates and licenses all types of medical cannabis businesses in the state. However, the application period ended for all types of medical cannabis business licenses on December 30, 2022.

A medical cannabis cultivation business in Morgan County must have either a medical cannabis cultivator license or a medical cannabis integrated facility license from the AMCC. The medical cannabis integrated facility licensee may not just cultivate cannabis but also manufacture medical cannabis products and sell medical cannabis and its products by retail.

Applicants for both types of licenses and their employees must pass a criminal background check. Both must pay the $2,500 application fee and are required to have liability and casualty insurance worth not less than $2 million. The annual license fee is $40,000 for the medical cannabis cultivator license and $50,000 for the medical cannabis integrated facility license. Licensees are subject to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (AGI) Administrative Code Chapter 80-14-1 on Medical Cannabis Cultivation.

The AMCC was authorized to grant only up to 12 licenses for medical cannabis cultivators and five licenses for medical cannabis integrated facilities. As of June 12, 2023, the AMCC had granted four licenses for medical cannabis cultivators and five licenses for medical cannabis integrated facilities. Each licensed cultivator must connect to the AMCC seed-to-sale tracking system and update their medical cannabis inventory.

AGI Administrative Code 80-14-1 requires medical cannabis cultivation to be done within an enclosed structure only, and not outdoors. Cannabis plants must be planted in pots and not directly on the ground to ensure portability, the prevention of cross-contamination, and the ease of individually labeling each plant for identification and tracking. All cannabis cultivation activities must not be visible outside the fenced perimeter of the facility.

Each licensed medical cannabis cultivation facility must establish a security system that is monitored and equipped with alarms and surveillance cameras. Video recordings must be preserved for not less than 60 days. All employees and any authorized visitors must be required to wear identification badges, and their arrival and departure must be logged. AMCC inspections may be done twice a year.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Morgan County?

The licensed manufacturing of medical cannabis products in Morgan County is legal under the State of Alabama’s Act 2021-450. A medical cannabis manufacturing business must acquire from the AMCC either a medical cannabis processor license or a medical cannabis integrated facility license. The AMCC was authorized to grant only up to four medical cannabis processor licenses and these had all been issued, as of June 12, 2023, in addition to five medical cannabis integrated facility licenses.

Applicants for the medical cannabis processor license are required to pay the $2,500 application fee and $40,000 annual license fee. Licensees are subject to the AMCC Regulation of Processors.

Each licensed medical cannabis manufacturing facility must be kept secure by the installation of adequate fencing and lighting, as well as a 24-hour security system equipped with locks, motion detectors, commercial-grade alarms, and surveillance cameras with video and audio recording. Normal footage must be retained for not less than 60 days, but footage of theft or attempted theft must be retained for not less than two years or until the culprit is prosecuted.

All employees must wear IDs and any authorized visitors must be required to wear visitor passes. At least one security guard must be on duty at each licensed medical cannabis manufacturing facility during business hours.

All licensed medical cannabis manufacturing facilities are required to ensure quality control for all medical cannabis products with regard to potency, consistency, safety, lifespan, and stability through testing. The movement and levels of medical cannabis products must be logged into the AMCC seed-to-sale tracking system.

All medical cannabis product packages are subject to the following rules:

• Medical cannabis product packaging must be tamper-evident, child-resistant, and unappealing to minors.
• Medical cannabis product labels must be printed on the package or securely attached to it.
• Medical cannabis product labels must be legible and clear, with the following information included:
  • The type of product
  • The brand name
  • The cultivator’s name and license number
  • The processor’s name and license number
  • The batch number and product lot indicated on the AMCC seed-to-sale tracking system
  • The weight or units of the product contained in the package
  • The cannabis content of the product and its potency
  • The manufacturing, testing, and packaging dates
  • The expiration date
  • Warnings and marks required by the AMCC
  • Contact details for the Alabama Poison Information Center
• Medical cannabis product packaging must not have any inaccurate claims on the benefits of medical cannabis.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Morgan County?

The licensed retail selling of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products in Morgan County is legal in compliance with Act 2021-450 of the State of Alabama. Alabama Code § 20-2A-51, however, states that licensed medical cannabis dispensaries may only be set up in municipalities that allow such businesses by ordinance. Of the two cities and five towns in Morgan County, only the City of Decatur and the Town of Priceville allowed both licensed medical cannabis dispensaries and licensed medical cannabis integrated facilities.

A medical cannabis retail business must obtain from the AMCC either a medical cannabis dispensary license or a medical cannabis integrated facility license. Licensed dispensaries are subject to the AMCC Regulation of Dispensaries and may only sell medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to registered patients and caregivers with medical cannabis cards from the Alabama Medical Cannabis Program. However, as of July 2023, the Program was still under development.

The AMCC was authorized to issue only up to four medical cannabis dispensary licenses, all of which had been given out as of June 12, 2023. The medical cannabis dispensary license holders are each allowed to operate a maximum of three dispensary locations in separate counties. The holders of the five medical cannabis integrated facility licenses also granted on that day are allowed by the AMCC to establish up to five dispensary locations each in separate counties. This number may be increased by the AMCC as needed.

Applicants for the medical cannabis dispensary license are required to pay the $2,500 application fee and $40,000 yearly license fee.

A licensed medical cannabis dispensary must be separated from a school, childcare facility, or daycare facility by a minimum of 1,000 feet. Security measures required are the same as those for licensed medical cannabis manufacturers. However, registered patients and caregivers are to be allowed entry into licensed dispensaries upon presentation of their valid medical cannabis cards.

All sales in a licensed medical cannabis dispensary must be managed by a certified dispenser who must be on-site throughout business hours. The certified dispenser is required to have not less than two years of medical, nursing, or pharmacology studies plus completion of the relevant AMCC training program, and yearly participation in AMCC continuing education courses.

Licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are allowed to sell oils, capsules, tablets, tinctures, transdermal patches, suppositories, nebulizers, topical formulations such as creams and gels, and products for inhalers. They are prohibited from selling raw cannabis plant materials, edible cannabis products, and cannabis for smoking or vaping.

A licensed medical cannabis dispensary is required to check the medical cannabis card of the purchaser to confirm qualification. There is a purchase limit every 60 days corresponding to a 60-day supply of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products according to the dosage on the patient’s physician’s certification. Every sale must be documented in the AMCC seed-to-sale tracking system.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Morgan County?

No. The AMCC Regulation of Dispensaries does not allow licensed medical cannabis dispensaries to deliver medical cannabis and medical cannabis products even to registered patients and caregivers who hold medical cannabis cards.

Medical cannabis business licensees are allowed to transport medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to and from each other, but only through an AMCC-licensed medical cannabis secure transporter.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Morgan County

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Program was still being developed as of July 2023. Also, there were still no physicians approved for medical cannabis patient certification. Once the program has been established and certifying physicians have been approved, residents of Morgan County diagnosed with any of the following illnesses may register for a medical cannabis card:

• Any illness that causes intractable or chronic pain
• Terminal illness
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Cancer that causes chronic pain, nausea, vomiting, or cachexia
• Tourette's Syndrome
• Crohn's Disease
• Spasticity from Multiple Sclerosis or Spinal Cord Injury
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Seizures
• Panic Disorder
• HIV/AIDS
• Persistent nausea
• Parkinson's Disease
• Depression

Patients below the age of 19 are required to have a parent or legal guardian as a caregiver. Older patients are also allowed to have a caregiver who must also register for a medical cannabis card.

The AMCC may be reached for further inquiries through:

P. O. Box 309585

Montgomery, Alabama 36130

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Morgan County?

The legalization of medical cannabis in the State of Alabama has not had any economic impact yet because the various licenses on June 12, 2023, were stayed by the AMCC on June 16, 2023. There is no information available yet, as of July 2023, on when the stay will be lifted.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Morgan County

Medical cannabis was legalized in Morgan County in 2021 but retail selling has not yet begun.

There is no data on the Crime Explorer page of the FBI specific to Morgan County. For the State of Alabama, there were 90 marijuana possession arrests and four marijuana sales arrests in 2020, totaling 94 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2021, the latest data showed 2,808 marijuana possession arrests and 42 marijuana sales arrests, totaling 2,850 marijuana offense arrests.

There were 210 DUI arrests in the state in 2020. There was no data for DUI arrests in 2021.