Alabama Always, LLC, a company seeking an integrated license under the state’s medical cannabis program, has filed a federal lawsuit against members of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, alleging retaliation and constitutional violations.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the suit claims that AMCC commissioners and staff violated Alabama Always’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by retaliating against the company for publicly criticizing the Commission’s actions. The complaint asserts that AMCC members denied the company a license multiple times and ignored its formal grievances in response to legal challenges.
“This case is about the right to express your opinions and to petition the government for a redress of your grievances, pure and simple. It’s among the most important rights that we have as Americans,” said Will Somerville, attorney for Alabama Always. “Our company followed the rules. We met the qualifications. Yet we were denied—again and again—and when we pointed out that the Commission violated the law, they retaliated against us for exercising our constitutional rights.”…