Wednesday, an Alabama senate state committee approved a bill that would legalize medical cannabis.
Legalization of Medical Cannabis
Here is a quote from the Marijuana Moment article:
"The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared the bill in a 8-1 vote, with one abstention. The next stop for the legislation will be the Senate floor. The proposal would establish the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which would be responsible for overseeing a patient registry database, issuing medical cannabis cards and approving licenses for marijuana dispensaries, cultivators, transporters and testing facilities. This vote comes two months after a panel created by the legislature, the Medical Cannabis Study Commission, issued a recommendation that Alabama implement a medical cannabis program. The full Senate approved a medical cannabis legalization bill last year, but it was diluted in the House to only provide for the establishment of the study commission. Sen. Tim Melson (R) sponsored both versions of the legislation and served as chairman of the review panel. The current bill has been revised from the earlier version. For example, this one does not require patients to exhaust traditional treatment options before they can access medical cannabis."
Some amendments were also approved, by voice vote. One would protect doctors from liability for prescribing medical marijuana. Another would make employees ineligible for workers’ compensation for accidents caused by being under the influence of medical cannabis, a standard used for other drugs as well.
Alabama is one of only 17 remaining states where medical cannabis is illegal. If the bill is approved, this is a huge victory for the cannabis community. Where do you think it should go legal next?
One thing we're watching on Goat Hill today is the medical marijuana bill. Alabama is one of only 17 states where medical cannabis remains illegal. https://t.co/V8CK8nm6mm
— Alabama Democrats (@aldemocrats) February 19, 2020