Cullman woman is first patient to receive medical cannabis in Alabama

June 3, 2026

WVTM 13 NEWS STARTS NOW WITH BREAKING NEWS. I’M GOING TO BE DRIVING HOME THINKING ABOUT AND KNOWING THAT MY LIFE IS NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME, NOR WILL ALABAMA. AN HISTORIC DAY IN OUR STATE. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, MEDICAL MARIJUANA WAS PURCHASED AND PICKED UP BY A PATIENT IN ALABAMA. THANKS FOR JOINING US AT SIX. I’M GUY RAWLINGS AND I’M BRITTANY DECKER. THIS IS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN WHAT’S BEEN A LONG ROAD TO MAKE CANNABIS AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS. MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO, ALABAMA BECAME THE 37TH STATE IN THE U.S. TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL CANNABIS AFTER GOVERNOR KAY IVEY SIGNED THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL INTO LAW. BUT LEGAL DISPUTES CREATED HURDLES, MAKING THE PROCESS TO GET MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO PATIENTS A SLOW ONE. HOWEVER, THE TURNING POINT CAME LAST DECEMBER, WHEN THE ALABAMA MEDICAL CANNABIS COMMISSION VOTED TO ISSUE DISPENSARY LICENSES TO THREE COMPANIES. TODAY, ALABAMA’S FIRST DISPENSARY FINALLY HAD A SOFT OPENING IN MONTGOMERY. THE DISPENSARY WILL OFFICIALLY OPEN TOMORROW AT 10 A.M. AS WVTM 13 LISA CRANE EXPLAINS, THIS IS THE FINAL PIECE NEEDED TO MAKE MEDICAL CANNABIS AVAILABLE IN OUR STATE. AMANDA TAYLOR HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY FOR YEARS. SHE BECAME THE FIRST PATIENT IN ALABAMA TO RECEIVE MEDICAL CANNABIS AT KELLY’S APOTHECARY. SHE HAS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. TREMORS AND NAUSEA ARE JUST A FEW OF HER SYMPTOMS. I COULD STAND HERE ALL DAY LONG AND LIST DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS OF MS. THERE ARE SO MANY AND IT CHANGES DAILY. BUT CANNABIS HELPS EVERY ONE OF THOSE. TAYLOR CALLS HERSELF A MEDICAL REFUGEE BECAUSE SHE LEFT ALABAMA YEARS AGO, MOVED TO ARIZONA JUST SO SHE COULD HAVE ACCESS LEGAL ACCESS TO MEDICAL CANNABIS. BUT SHE CAME BACK HOME FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN IT BECAME LEGAL HERE. AND TODAY, SHE DROVE TWO HOURS FROM HER HOME IN CULLMAN HERE TO MONTGOMERY TO GET THOSE MEDS IS A HISTORIC DAY. IT’S THE COMMISSION HAS HAD A LONG, HARD ROAD, AND WE’RE NOT AT THE END OF IT YET. BUT WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT’S UP AND GOING IN ALABAMA TODAY. THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMISSION SAYS RIGHT NOW THERE ARE ALMOST 70 PHYSICIANS CERTIFIED TO RECOMMEND THESE MEDICINES TO PATIENTS IN ALABAMA. BUT HE FEELS THAT NUMBER WILL GROW QUICKLY. I THINK WISELY, THEY’VE SORT OF HELD OFF UNTIL THEY KNOW THAT A PATIENT CAN GET A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN GET A PRODUCT. TAYLOR SAYS SHE WANTS TO LEAD THE CHARGE TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF CANNABIS. SHE BELIEVES MANY PEOPLE AREN’T CONSIDERING THIS PLANT AS A MEDICAL OPTION BECAUSE OF AN OUTDATED STIGMA. I SEE THIS GROWING. EXPONENTIALLY BECAUSE ONCE PEOPLE SEE THE RESULTS AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT IT MAKES, AND THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT GETTING HIGH AND HOW YOU CAN FUNCTION AND BE A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER

For the first time ever, medical marijuana was purchased in Alabama. More than five years ago, Alabama became the 37th state in the U.S. to legalize medicinal cannabis after Gov. Kay Ivey signed the medical marijuana bill into law. But legal disputes created hurdles, making the process of getting medical marijuana to patients a slow one. The turning point came last December, when the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission voted to issue dispensary licenses to three companies.The state’s first dispensary, Callie’s Apothecary, held a soft opening in Montgomery Wednesday. It will officially open Thursday at 10 a.m.The first patientAmanda Taylor has been waiting for this day for years.She became the first patient in Alabama to receive medical cannabis at Callie’s Apothecary. She has multiple sclerosis. Tremors and nausea are just a few of her symptoms.”I can stand here all night and list different symptoms of MS. There’s so many, and it changes daily. But cannabis helps every one of those,” Taylor said.Taylor calls herself a medical refugee. She fled Alabama years ago and went to Arizona just to have legal access to medical cannabis. When lawmakers approved this industry here in Alabama five years ago, she came back. She drove two hours from Cullman to Montgomery for these meds.>> DURING DELAYS IN THE PROCESS: Central Alabama cannabis grower may have to destroy crop with no way to sell to patientsJohn McMillan is the director of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.”It’s an historic day,” he said. “This commission has had a long, hard road, and we’re not at the end of it yet, but we have a program that’s up and going in Alabama today.” McMillan said right now there are almost 70 physicians certified to recommend these medicines to patients, but he feels that number will grow quickly.”I think, wisely, they’ve sort of held off until they know that a patient can get a recommendation and then get a product,” McMillan said.>> DURING THE PROCESS: First medical cannabis crop in Alabama ready for harvestChanging the perceptionTaylor said she wants to lead the charge to change the perception of cannabis. She believes many people aren’t considering this plant as a medical option because of an outdated stigma.”I see this growing exponentially because once people see the results and see the difference that it makes, and it’s not about getting high, but how you can function and be a productive member of society,” Taylor said. “There’s no shame in that.”>> BELOW: Parents of 14-year-old Alabama girl with rare disorder demand medical cannabis access

For the first time ever, medical marijuana was purchased in Alabama.

More than five years ago, Alabama became the 37th state in the U.S. to legalize medicinal cannabis after Gov. Kay Ivey signed the medical marijuana bill into law. But legal disputes created hurdles, making the process of getting medical marijuana to patients a slow one.

The turning point came last December, when the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission voted to issue dispensary licenses to three companies.

The state’s first dispensary, Callie’s Apothecary, held a soft opening in Montgomery Wednesday. It will officially open Thursday at 10 a.m.

The first patient

Amanda Taylor has been waiting for this day for years.

She became the first patient in Alabama to receive medical cannabis at Callie’s Apothecary. She has multiple sclerosis. Tremors and nausea are just a few of her symptoms.

“I can stand here all night and list different symptoms of MS. There’s so many, and it changes daily. But cannabis helps every one of those,” Taylor said.

Taylor calls herself a medical refugee. She fled Alabama years ago and went to Arizona just to have legal access to medical cannabis. When lawmakers approved this industry here in Alabama five years ago, she came back. She drove two hours from Cullman to Montgomery for these meds.

>> DURING DELAYS IN THE PROCESS: Central Alabama cannabis grower may have to destroy crop with no way to sell to patients

John McMillan is the director of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.

“It’s an historic day,” he said. “This commission has had a long, hard road, and we’re not at the end of it yet, but we have a program that’s up and going in Alabama today.”

McMillan said right now there are almost 70 physicians certified to recommend these medicines to patients, but he feels that number will grow quickly.

“I think, wisely, they’ve sort of held off until they know that a patient can get a recommendation and then get a product,” McMillan said.

>> DURING THE PROCESS: First medical cannabis crop in Alabama ready for harvest

Changing the perception

Taylor said she wants to lead the charge to change the perception of cannabis. She believes many people aren’t considering this plant as a medical option because of an outdated stigma.

“I see this growing exponentially because once people see the results and see the difference that it makes, and it’s not about getting high, but how you can function and be a productive member of society,” Taylor said. “There’s no shame in that.”

>> BELOW: Parents of 14-year-old Alabama girl with rare disorder demand medical cannabis access

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