MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – An Alabama father is urging state lawmakers to implement the legal cannabis program that was signed into law in 2021.

Dustin Chandler’s daughter, Carly, suffers from seizures. In 2014, Dustin advocated for Carly’s Law, which authorized a study that led to the legalization of CBD oil in Alabama.

Now, after more research has been done, he says Carly could benefit from THC.

“If we just look at seizure control, the doctor, my daughter’s doctor and other doctors that deal with neurology and epilepsy, sometimes the CBD is good, and sometimes there has to be a little bit of THC,” Chandler explained.

When Alabama legalized medical marijuana in 2021, Chandler thought the battle was over. Now, 1,435 days later, he’s still fighting.

Patients still do not have access to THC because ofongoing legal disputesover the licensing process. Chandler blames the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which he says failed to inspect cannabis facilities before awarding licenses.

“It boggles the mind that we are going to award a license to a company that has not proven or can show that they’ve at least started construction on facilities,” Chandler said. “What if we have people that have licenses now that can’t truly get the product to the people and do it the right way?” he questioned. “This is not gardening 101 that you took back in college, this is really sophisticated stuff.”

Another gripe he has with the commission is that it has still not created a patient registry as the law requires, identifying patients who are eligible for THC treatment.

“There could be product, meaning medicine, and potential help out there for somebody, but there’s not a registry that is available to make sure that the patient qualifies, that they have a qualifying physician, so that’s really something that is written into the law, it’s engrained into the law that that will take place, and it has not taken place for four long years.”

Chandler has written a letter to all 35 state senators and is urging other advocates to do so as well.

According to WSFA’s sister station WBRC, the commission spent $7.396 million in taxpayer funds from the period of Fiscal Year 2022 to November 2024.

WSFA reached out to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission for comment, but they have not yet responded.

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