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The road to getting medical marijuana to Alabama patients who need it has been a bumpy one. After approving licenses for businesses to grow, process, test, transport, and sell cannabis, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has twice had to pause the process. The first time was in June, when they discovered tabulation errors in the way they chose the licensees, and now, a temporary stay on issuing the licenses from a judge after several lawsuits were filed arguing the process was flawed. Now, there are some complaints that not enough minority-owned companies were approved in certain categories.Early on in this process, state lawmakers said 25% of the licenses would be awarded to minority-owned businesses. When the commission awarded licenses just over a week ago, they announced 24 companies; eight are reportedly minority-owned. That's about 33%. But the director of Alabama’s Minorities for Medical Marijuana says that percentage is not evenly distributed.The map below shows a look at the minority-owned businesses that received a grant in purple and the non-minority-owned businesses that received a grant in grey.Can't see the map? Click here.Antoine Mordican owns Native Black Cultivation. Right now, he's a hemp farmer but was hoping to transition into a cannabis cultivator. But he was denied a license. Mordican says, “We actually was denied due to a proof of residency, which is my first time hearing about it. And it was a little distasteful, disheartening.”Mordican is also the director of Alabama’s Minorities for Medical Marijuana organization. He says it's important Black and brown people, who have been disproportionately impacted by drug laws, are represented in this new industry. Mordican says, “So my biggest thing was to make sure that we have true minority ownership in this business, in this industry as it continues to develop here in Alabama. And making sure ultimately, Alabamians win all the way across the board.”Mordican has been disappointed by the state medical cannabis commission, saying the members lacked when it comes to transparency and communication. He says, “The commission doesn't do the best job of giving the information out to the public what comes out of those meetings. So, if you're not in those rooms, you're pretty much not going to get the necessary information. And with the role that I serve in as the Alabama State Director for Minorities for Medical Marijuana, I serve a huge community, and I need to make sure that they are able to get credible information and feedback from how everything is going on here in Alabama.”Medical cannabis is potentially a multi-billion dollar industry, and many companies would like a piece of that. Now with a temporary restraining order and multiple lawsuits, it may take even longer to get the industry off the ground. Mordican says, “Ultimately, Alabamians win because it's about to be a wealth of economic stimulation that needs to be refunnelled here within our state.”No word on when this temporary restraining order will be lifted and whether it will mean Alabamians who could benefit from medical cannabis will have to wait even longer for the drug.