Cullman County man helps others with health concerns through Medical Cannabis
CULLMAN COUNTY - Central Alabama business owners are looking to get their start in medical cannabis. The extensive application process is already underway, and for one man, his business is personal.
Wagon Trail Med Serv co-owner Joey Robertson is excited to hopefully open his business, but above all else, he just wants to help people suffering from their medical conditions.
“We want to be able to provide a safe and effective but also affordable product to all the patients in the state,” Robertson said.
Medical cannabis will slowly make its way to Central Alabama once licenses are approved. The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission will give 25 lucky business owners their approval. Business owners can then open three to five dispensaries depending on which license they’re granted approval equaling a total of 37 across the state.
“The whole system is set up by the legislature who allocates a specific number of licenses in the number of different categories,” John McMillan, Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Director, said. “Next June hopefully the commission will be ready to award those limited number of licenses.”
Robertson got his start with hemp in 2019. He is one of 607 applicants hoping to jump start his business.
“After seeing all the positive benefits we've seen to the patients on the back end with hemp and CBD products,” Robertson said, “moving into medical cannabis was more than natural for us.”
Robertson wishes an alternative was available after watching family members suffer from medical conditions. He knows these products could’ve saved the people he loved most.
“Very few people in my family make it to the ripe old age of 65 mainly because of cancer being in our family,” Robertson said.
McMillan estimates this industry will bring a huge economic boom to Alabama through licensing fees and the state sales tax.
“Some of the legislators believe it could be as much as $200 million in a few years,” McMillan said.
Robertson said he has 20 people working with him on the company’s application eight hours a day. He estimates the application will be just as long as the number of people applying for licenses reaching over 600 pages. The application asks for 3-and 5-year business plans detailing security measures at facilities, a plan to sustain the business model and other action items.
Applications for licenses aren't due until Dec. 30. Recipients of the licenses will be announced June 12, 2023.
