The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission gave updates on the state’s medical cannabis market and reopened applications for state testing lab licenses during its Thursday meeting.

The meeting came a week after Alabama’s first licensed medical cannabis dispensary, Callie’s Apothecary, opened in Montgomery.

Commission Chair Sam Blakemore recounted visiting the dispensary when it opened, commending Callie’s Apothecary for providing what he described as “transparent pricing, education, excellent customer service and an efficient workflow to get patients in and out of the dispensary safely in 20 minutes or less.”

“As a gentleman exited the dispensary, he stopped to tell me his story. He stated that he was a retired military veteran and had PTSD. He told me that for 20 years, he struggled to sleep at night,” Blakemore said. “At that moment, he left Callie’s Apothecary with the hope that medical cannabis could improve his quality of life.”

“Because of this commission’s efforts, patients with a qualified condition in the state of Alabama now have some hope,” Blakemore added.

Commission general counsel Justin Aday reported that, as of Thursday, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners had approved 52 physicians statewide to recommend medical cannabis treatment. Aday said 39 of those physicians had completed their required registration with the commission, while three had pending registration requests.

Aday said 446 Alabama Medical Cannabis Cards had been approved, with 21 licensed physicians making medical cannabis requests for patients. Since Callie’s Apothecary opened, 102 patients have visited the dispensary, generating nearly $15,000 in sales, he said.

The commission unanimously voted to reopen state testing laboratory license applications. Applications previously opened in February 2025, yielding one application that the commission later approved.

“There’s a need for an additional state testing laboratory, or laboratories,” Blakemore said. “Especially to meet the requirements of our rules regarding retesting and challenged test results.”

The commission also unanimously approved a request for a permanent permit variance allowing Callie’s Apothecary to install a sign outside the dispensary larger than commission rules currently allow. Rules limit dispensary signage to a maximum size of 16 inches by 18 inches.

The dispensary already had received a temporary variance from the commission to use a preexisting empty sign structure on its property that commissioners said is 4 feet wide by 12 feet long.

“They submitted with their variance request what the sign itself would look like. It otherwise meets all of the content restrictions of the rules. It’s not attractive to minors. It doesn’t depict the cannabis plant. It doesn’t mention the word cannabis at all,” Aday said. “It’s just their Callie’s Apothecary logo, and some other information, there on the side, but completely content neutral with respect to those restrictions in the rules.”

Commissioner Eric Jensen spoke in favor of amending the rules to allow larger dispensary signage.

“A sign that small is not gonna be helpful,” Jensen said. “I’m in favor of approving this, but I’m also in favor of adjusting our requirements for the marketing.”

Aday said the variance approval gives the commission the option to reconsider signage size rules by either adjusting the size limit or deferring to local restrictions.