Owner of Russellville-based medical cannabis applicant optimistic about application approval in 2027

When Callie’s Apothecary opened in Montgomery in June 2026, it became Alabama’s first medical cannabis dispensary, coming more than five years after the Alabama Legislature passed the state’s medical cannabis statute.

What began as a process for Alabamians with approved qualifying medical conditions to legally obtain cannabis (marijuana) products has devolved into a political ‘theater of the absurd’ with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, the entity tasked with the state licensing process.

And a Russellville-based applicant with plans to open a cultivating and processing facility and five dispensaries if its Alabama application was approved is once again optimistic his company will open its doors in Alabama as soon as next year, a complete pivot from 2025 when the company’s licensing prospects seemed dead and gone.

The new law was seen as a viable option to treat or ease pain from certain chronic medical conditions. But it turned into a repetitive battle where the commission would issue licenses, denied applicants would successfully challenge the commission and a Court would order the commission to start the application process all over again.

Following the legislature’s approval of medical cannabis legislation, cities around Alabama began enacting ordinances to authorize operation of medical cannabis dispensaries within their city limits.

The City of Russellville was among those, as the Russellville City Council approved Ordinance No. 2022-102 on September 6, 2022, authorizing approved medical cannabis dispensing sites to open in the city.

It wasn’t simply a hopeful gamble for city officials. They had been contacted by Arkansas businessman Brian Faught, owner of Natural Relief Dispensary, one of Arkansas’ largest-volume medical cannabis providers.

Along with a group of investors that included former legislator, Hoover Mayor and Jefferson County Manager, Tony Petelos, Faught formed Natural Relief Cultivation, LLC, and the company would apply for the  most elusive and valuable Alabama dispensary license, an Integrated Facility License.

Faught approached city officials about making Russellville the company’s home, meaning if its application was granted, Natural Relief Cultivation would locate its cultivation and processing facility and one of its five licensed dispensaries, in Russellville. The remaining four would be located in Birmingham, Owens Crossroads, Gadsden and Tuscaloosa.

The city and Natural Relief Cultivation entered into an agreement where the city would sell property on Highway 24 to the company to locate the growing, processing and dispensing of medical cannabis in Russellville. There were benchmarks included where Natural  Relief would be deeded the land at no cost if the company met them.

As one of the most qualified Integrated Facility License applicants, though, Natural Relief’s application was repeatedly denied by the commission.

51% of Natural Relief Cultivation is owned by Garry M. Davis, an African-American farmer from Trinity, Al. The Alabama law requires at least one Integrated Facility license to be issued to a minority-majority owned applicant.

Additionally, Natural Relief had significant funding already in place to build its facilities in Russellville and the four additional sites. The commission was supposed to give stronger consideration to applicants who already had secured funding.

But the commission’s repeated denial of Natural Relief’s application eventually led Faught to conclude in 2025 the chances of ever opening in Russellville were “dead,” Faught told the FFP.

With Alabama on the precipice of a new governor, with growing legislative frustration with the Medical Cannabis Commission and the strong prospect of legislation that would revamp the law, Faught has renewed optimism his company will have its application granted.

“There are some things I’ve been told in confidence that give me great hope we’ll be growing marijuana in Russellville, Alabama,” Faught said last week.

“To date, Alabama has the unique distinction of being the worst and slowest state to get this going. From what I understand now, I do believe we are going to get a license for an Integrated Facility,” he added.

Faught’s Arkansas dispensary has seen meteoric growth, overcoming early resistance from city leaders who he says delayed his company’s efforts to build its Sherwood facility.

“The City of Sherwood, Arkansas, delayed my building being completed by more than eight months. They would not return emails for 4-6 weeks and tried everything to keep me from opening,” Faught said. “Eight months after we finally opened, the mayor now shows up with donuts a couple times each month, beside herself for how wrong they were.

We went from the ‘dog on the corner’ to being the largest taxpayer in Sherwood, Arkansas, in only 13 months.

“Tax revenue from the medical marijuana industry to the State of Arkansas was $281 million last year. Every child in the state of Arkansas from Pre-K through 12th gets free breakfast and free lunch every day, all paid by the medical marijuana tax. It just took a little time for people to see the good this industry brings,” he added.

If Natural Relief receives a cultivation and processing license along with the license to open five dispensaries as an Integrated Facility, once fully  operational its value will surpass $100 million, Faught said, along with making a significant economic impact for Russellville, including opportunity for expansion.

“We want to make sure whatever happens in this industry going forward, we’re able to expand and meet whatever need the state has,” Faught said. “The first facility you build will not be the last. This industry could explode and you need to be ready.”