Alabama Legalizes Medical Marijuana

This week, the state of Alabama became the latest to legalize medical marijuana. In February, Alabama’s Senate approved the bill by a 21-to-8 vote and the House of Representatives then sent the bill through two committees before approving it by a 68-to-34 margin. On Monday May 17, Governor Kay Ivey signed SB 46 into law.

I've signed SB 46 pertaining to medical marijuana. I would like to thank Sen. Tim Melson & Rep. Mike Ball for their hard work over the last few years & their commitment to continue to work on this to ensure we have a productive, safe & responsible operation in AL. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/2IUBZVEKpI

— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 17, 2021

The bill will allow individuals with qualifying medical conditions to obtain a medical cannabis card for the use of medical cannabis and establishes the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. The commission will regulate the cultivation, processing, transporting, testing, and dispensing of medical cannabis in the state.

The following conditions may be considered qualifying for the issuance of a medical cannabis card in Alabama:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Cancer-related cachexia, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, or chronic pain
• Crohn's Disease
• Depression
• Epilepsy or seizure-causing condition
• HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss
• Panic disorder
• Parkinson's disease
• Persistent nausea
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Spasticity associated with a motor neuron disease
• Spasticity associated with Multiple Sclerosis or a spinal cord injury
• A terminal illness
• Tourette's Syndrome
• Chronic pain

Products that are not approved include smokable products, raw cannabis, and baked goods, but processers will be able to make ingestible tablets, tinctures, creams, and patches.

Cover Photo by Matthew Henry