Alabama Cannabis Farmer Presses On Despite Soaring Costs and Uncertain Future
Editor’s Note: The narrative has been revised to accurately indicate the precise month when Antoine Mordican’s firm obtained a medical cannabis business license.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Delays in the rollout of medical cannabis in Alabama continue amid court battles and political fights.
One of the companies stuck in a wait-and-see mode is owned by Alabama A&M engineering school graduate Antoine Mordican Sr. Mordican is the CEO and owner of Native Black Cultivation which has operations in Bessemer.
Medical cannabis was legalized in Alabama in 2021, but nearly four years later, patients still cannot get access. The regulatory board overseeing the rollout, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, has been plagued by early missteps, three rounds of license issuances, and multiple lawsuits stemming from those problems. Mordican tells News 19 he began working as an engineer after college, but saw the opportunity to build a hemp business and later a cannabis business in Alabama.
His company was awarded a cultivator license during the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s third round of licenses in December 2023, under an emergency rule provision. That provision is now the subject of a
The Montgomery County Circuit Court decision that could additionally
postpone the implementation of medical cannabis.
The circuit court ruling creates further uncertainty for companies like Mordican’s that received license awards under the emergency rule. The AMCC has filed an appeal asking a state appeals court to overturn the circuit court’s order.
Mordican informed News 19 that he remains hopeful about delivering medical cannabis to patients in Alabama; however, the journey has been fraught with several obstacles.
“After receiving our license, we must ensure all necessary components within our scope are set up within 60 days for cultivating medical marijuana in Alabama,” explained Mordican. “A mere 60-day timeline? It’s incredibly challenging. Nonetheless, being an exceptional person, I possessed the required infrastructure and property due to my previous work with hemp cultivation. This allowed me to make the needed adjustments swiftly enough to meet this tight deadline.”
His firm started cultivating marijuana for medicinal purposes.
“I had my first harvest of medical cannabis June 1st of last year, 2024,” Mordican said. “And I was hoping at least by then the commission would have everything figured out, all the licenses would be issued. I was very optimistic we would have a fully open industry here in Alabama. However, that’s not our case.”
Almost a year since the initial harvest, the Alabama market remains non-existent due to ongoing legal battles over commission errors and license distributions. Mordican was forced to keep the harvested product in storage, awaiting potential future opportunities. However, this ambiguity isn't easy to handle.
I am still involved in growing medical cannabis," he stated. "I am adhering to my obligations as a grower and look forward to providing it to the residents of Alabama shortly.
However, the expenses are accumulating.
Regrettably, nobody has managed to make any profit," Mordican stated. "From $80,000 in licensing costs to substantial investments in infrastructure gear and various other equipment totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars each, everything seems to be a complete loss so far. Nonetheless, we remain highly hopeful for what lies ahead; our products are all set to benefit the residents of Alabama.
Mordican stated that he attributes the delays to the handful of companies responsible for them. sued regarding licensing issues, rather than involving the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission or the Alabama Legislature.
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