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NEWS AT FIVE STARTS NOW. TODAY, ALABAMA TOOK THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING MEDICAL MARIJUANA A REALITY. THANKS FOR JOINING US AT FIVE. I’M GUY RAWLINGS AND I’M BRITTANY DECKER. TODAY, THE ALABAMA MEDICAL CANNABIS COMMISSION APPROVED LICENSES FOR 21 BUSINESSES TO GROW, SELL AND TRANSPORT THE PLANT. THEY DENIED 69 APPLICATIONS. �������� 13. LISA CRANE LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM AT A COMPANY THAT HAD HOPED TO BECOME A PART OF THIS BURGEONING INDUSTRY. LISA. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. WE’RE ALL ACTUALLY ON THE BACK SIDE OF CREEK LEAF WELLNESS HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. NOT TOO FAR FROM SLOSS FURNACE, AND THIS IS A 25,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING RIGHT HERE. BUT THEY’RE IN THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT HERE. THEY’VE BEEN DOING SOME WORK ON THE ELECTRICAL AND THE NATURAL GAS HERE BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS BRAND NEW ALABAMA MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY. HOWEVER, THEY WERE ONE OF THE 69 BUSINESSES DENIED AN APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE TODAY, BUT THE OWNER SAYS THEY ARE NOT GIVING UP. A 12 BLOCKS AWAY FROM CITY HALL FOR MITCH HUNGER PILLAR, HIS DREAM OF GROWING WORLD CLASS PHARMACEUTICAL CANNABIS GREW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. MY MOM HAD DEMENTIA FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AND WE SAW SOME AMAZING MIRACLES FROM CBD. PERSONALLY, WITH MY OWN EYES AS A RESULT OF GIVING HER SOME LARGE DOSES OF CBD, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET HER RECALL BACK. SHE WAS ABLE TO TELL ME HER NAME BEFORE SHE DIED. THAT’S WHY HE PIVOTED HIS HEMP COMPANY AND INVESTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO EXPAND INTO A CANNABIS GROW OPERATION. WE HAVE A MASTER PLAN HERE THAT’S DOWN AT DOWN AT CITY HALL. THEY IT’S BEEN APPROVED THIS IS A PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO WITH THE TOTAL SPEND OF OUR BUDGET, OUR ESTIMATES JUST CAME BACK OF OVER $11 MILLION. THE DENIAL OF A BUSINESS LICENSE BY THE STATE IS DISAPPOINTING, BUT HUNGER PILLAR SAYS HE’S NOT GIVING UP. HE EXPECTS, AS THE INDUSTRY GROWS, SO WILL THE NEED FOR MORE CULTIVATORS. JUST WANTED TO BUILD A WORLD CLASS PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE OPERATION TO PRODUCE THE RAW MATERIAL BEST QUALITY, RAW MATERIAL FOR CANNABIS RESEARCH. YEAH, AND ACTUALLY THE COMMISSION ONLY GRANTED FOUR LICENSES TODAY FOR CULTIVATORS, THE GROWERS AND THAT’S WHAT CREEK LEAF WANTED TO BE HERE. AND WE UNDERSTAND THE COMMISSION HAS SAID THEY MAY HOLD HEARINGS AND RECONSIDER LICENSING FEES FOR THOSE THAT WERE DENIED TODAY. COMPANIES LIKE CREEK LEAF LIVE