MONTGOMERY, Ala. — On Tuesday, a judge took a significant step forward in the prolonged battle over the licensing of medical marijuana cultivation and sales in Alabama by appointing a mediator.

Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson chose retired Circuit Judge Eugene Reese to facilitate discussions aimed at resolving this contentious situation. In his comments, Anderson indicated that he believes mediation could lead to a quicker and fair resolution to the ongoing issues surrounding the medical marijuana program.

The state’s medical cannabis initiative, established by lawmakers in 2021, was designed to provide access to marijuana for individuals suffering from specific medical conditions. However, nearly three years later, the deployment of medical marijuana in Alabama is still stalled, primarily due to a large-scale legal dispute about how the licenses for cultivation and sales are being awarded.

Various companies that were denied licenses have claimed that the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has failed to adhere to state laws and proper administrative guidelines during the selection process. These companies assert their right to contest the qualifications of those who were awarded licenses, while the winning applicants have called upon Judge Anderson to allow the program to move forward without further delays.

The commission, which started accepting applications for licenses in 2022, has made three attempts to allocate these licenses, only to retract them twice amid criticisms regarding the selection methods. In July, Judge Anderson issued a temporary restraining order that halted the issuance of some licenses, citing serious doubts about the validity of the third attempt at awarding licenses.