Businesses line up to register cannabis-based businesses in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, AL (WBRC) - Instead of a gold rush, it’s a green rush. The kind of green you spend and consume.

In a 17 to 6 vote the Alabama Senate passed the medical marijuana bill Thursday,

Several businesses were already looking to cash in on the legislation. And as of Thursday night, seven companies filed applications to start cannabis-based businesses in Alabama; one of the companies is in Boston, MA.

“I think there’s a whole industry that’s excited about having the chance to come into Alabama and participate in this activity,” Secretary of State John Merrill said.

Merrill said filing name reservations starts the application process, so if the medical marijuana bill is signed into law, these companies are already rolling.

“From my observation people that want to be successful want to make their brand name known as soon as possible,” said Merrill. “They think the market’s ripe for investment.”

Although the stipulations to owning and operating a cannabis-based business in Alabama are not yet hashed out, companies can expect to pay thousands to get up and running.

If the bill becomes law, it would allow people age 19 and up, with certain conditions, to legally use cannabis as a medical treatment.

The conditions include cancer, autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, opioid addiction, depression and all terminal conditions.

Patients would need to have approval from two doctors as well as have tried traditional treatments before being approved.

"It’s not a Republican or Democrat issue to me. It’s a patient issue. And when you’ve got patients out there that have certain medical conditions that they could benefit from. I think it’s time to give them an opportunity to participate in it,” Senator Tim Melson (R) who’s sponsoring the bill said.

The bill will head to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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