The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) sent medical cannabis license applications to business hopefuls Oct. 24, taking another step forward in rolling out the medical cannabis program that Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law last year.

Regulators accepted requests for applications from Sept. 1 through Oct. 17 and received 607 total requests, according to a local WAFF report.

The majority of the requests poured in from Madison, Jefferson and Montgomery counties, the news outlet reported.

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The applications, which are for prospective medical cannabis cultivators, processors, transporters, testing laboratories, dispensaries and vertically integrated operations, are due back to the state by Dec. 30.

There is a non-refundable $2,500 fee for any license type, and entrepreneurs can only apply for one license type.

License winners will be announced June 12, 2023, according to the AMCC’s timeline.

Regulators will ultimately issue five vertically integrated licenses (which allow each licensee to open five dispensaries), 12 cultivation licenses, four processor licenses and four dispensary licenses (which allow each licensee to open three retail locations).

Alabama’s municipalities are required to pass local ordinances to allow medical cannabis facilities to operate within their jurisdictions, WAFF reported. As of Oct. 24, the AMCC has received resolutions or ordinances from 23 municipalities, according to the news outlet.

Patients interested in enrolling in the state’s medical cannabis program will be able to access applications sometime next year, WAFF reported.