MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — A bill that gives the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission more rights to regulate medical marijuana passed in the House.

HB390 will give the commission “primary responsibility” when regulating and licensing the drug. Additionally, AMCC works with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) to award distribution licenses.

Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Athens) sponsored the bill. He explained that the legislation clarifies the duties of the commission.

“Enforcement and some of the roles that [ADAI] had. There was some confusion as to does the commission have this or does the commissioner have this?” Rep. Crawford said.

Rep. Paul Lee (R-Dothan) chairs the Health Committee, which originally voted on the legislation. He says ADAI commissioner Rick Pate asked to be “taken out of the picture” through this legislation.

“Commissioner Pate was very happy that he was being taken out of this loop,” Rep. Lee said. “There’s no need for more people to be in the kitchen than what’s needed.”

The Medical Cannabis Commission has been under fire for awarding some licenses and not others. Lawyer Will Somerville is representing Alabama Always LLC, a company taking legal action against the commission due to not being awarded a license.

Somerville says that the commission has not enforced the licensing standards originally set forth by the legislature, and they do not need more authority.

“Companies that are ready to produce need to be allowed to start producing and getting medicine to people in the state who need it,” Somerville said.

The bill passed with a vote of 95-4 and now heads to the Senate for a committee vote.