Alabama lawmakers on May 6 approved legislation that will allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase what is commonly called medical marijuana.
Lawmakers debated the issue for 12 hours over two days before casting their votes in favor of the measure. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for consideration.
Medical marijuana, or medical cannabis, is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, which has mind-altering chemical properties and is often used recreationally. Cannabis contains two compounds, THC, which is the primary ingredient in marijuana that makes people feel “high,” and CBD, which is already legal under federal law when derived from the hemp plant.
THC is prohibited under federal law, but many states have legalized its use for treating certain conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain and severe nausea.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 states and 4 territories have laws regulating cannabis for medical use. Proponents say such laws are necessary to help patients for whom other treatments have not worked.
Gateway to recreational use?
But Joe Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program, worries medical marijuana provides a gateway to full legalization of the drug.
Not only does legalization send a message that marijuana is safe – “it is not,” he said — “in every state where ‘medical’ marijuana has been legalized, recreational marijuana soon follows or is being pushed,” he said.
Justin Bogie, Senior Director of Fiscal Policy for the Alabama Policy Institute, in a May 5 article, noted that 14 states have legalized recreational marijuana already. But the financial windfall of medical marijuana is huge, he said.
“According to marijuana industry data, medicinal sales alone totaled $5.8-$7.1 billion in 2020,” Bogie wrote. “Tax revenues from medical marijuana sales totaled an estimated $287-$345 million last year. On the recreational side, California and Washington alone brought in nearly $1 billion in tax revenues last year.”
Bogie said the hope is that those who support passage of medical marijuana are doing so “because they want to help those suffering from chronic medical conditions that have exhausted all other treatment options.”
Qualifying reasons
Bogie is skeptical, though the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, has said medical use is all he is pushing. The Alabama measure prohibits the common recreational uses of marijuana — smoking, vaping or ingesting cannabis in baked goods. The legislation allows consumption only by a tablet or capsule, gelatins or vaporized oils.
To qualify, a patient must have a specifically listed medical condition and their doctor’s written certification.
“We don’t see Alabama’s vote as sending any message on legalizing for non-medical purposes,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies with the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project/MPP Foundation, told the Associated Press. “Lawmakers – and the bill itself – made it clear that this bill is only about medical cannabis for the seriously ill.”
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