Five years after Alabama legalized medical cannabis, the state’s first dispensary is finally opening. The commission that got it here just received one of the most critical audits in the program’s history.
Alabama is about to make history. Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery is set to serve its first patient on May 4, becoming the first licensed medical cannabis dispensary in the state’s history, five years after the Alabama legislature approved medical marijuana in 2021.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission announced the opening date at its April 9 meeting, as reported by WSFA-12. AMCC Chairman Dr. Sam Blakemore described the facility in terms that speak to how carefully the state has approached the rollout.
“Callie’s Apothecary put me at home,” Blakemore said. “It reminded me of being back at a pharmacy.”
AMCC Director John McMillan was more specific about the security infrastructure. “A patient will not be able to even enter the door unless a picture is taken of their medical cannabis card and relayed through the system,” he said. “Cameras everywhere, lights everywhere, locks everywhere.”
Nine locations by summer, 12 by year’s end
Callie’s is the first of nine dispensaries operated by three licensed companies expected to be open by summer, as reported by MJBizDaily. A fourth license is still caught up in ongoing litigation, but the commission says it will not affect the May rollout. Blakemore expects all 12 locations to be operational by Q4 2026.
Dispensaries are planned for the following locations, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission website:
Athens (Limestone County)
Attalla (Etowah County)
Birmingham (Jefferson County)
Cullman (Cullman County)
Daphne (Baldwin County)
Mobile (Mobile County)
Montgomery (Montgomery County)
Oxford (Calhoun County)
Talladega (Talladega County)
As of the April meeting, more than 40 physicians have been approved to prescribe medical cannabis by the Alabama Board of …
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Author: Javier Hasse / High Times
