Alabama attorney general should step in to investigate problems with issuances of state marijuana licenses
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Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
To no one’s surprise, there is already controversy brewing in the legalized distribution of marijuana in the state of Alabama.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has temporarily suspended the issuance of licenses because of findings of inconsistencies in the data used to determine the new business owners.
Across the country there have been lawsuits and even charges of corruption in the issuing of licenses for the legalized sale of marijuana.
The former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives along with three others were charged with corruption for bribery related to marijuana licensing this year. In neighboring Georgia, there have been allegations of fraud related to the issuing of marijuana licenses which have led to civil lawsuits. Other government entities have also had to address irregularities in the awarding of these contracts that involve millions of dollars.
While the Alabama Commission has promised an independent investigation, what really needs to happen is Attorney General Steve Marshall should step in and conduct his own inquiry into the licensing process.
While the commission deserves credit for stating they want an outside review of the process, the attorney general can ensure there is no wrongdoing, intentional or not. He has the power to subpoena documents and witnesses to get to the bottom of what has happened. It would be be in the best interest for the commission and for those involved businesses, regardless if they were awarded a license or not. Most importantly, everyone should be wary of all of this considering the large amount of money at play.
There are already enough issues with the eventual legal distribution of marijuana in the state and what it will mean for the safety on our public roads and our youth, so now add more questions about the legitimacy of the process to that list. Whether you agree or not with medical marijuana, everyone needs to know that the process of licensing is transparent.
Without an examination by the state’s top prosecutor, we will not know if the process is an honest endeavor, and there is just too much at stake for Alabama citizens.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco.