Alabama's Medical Marijuana Bill Signed By Gov. Kay Ivey

MONTGOMERY, AL — Alabama is now the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana, after Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill Monday.

Under the legislation, patients would have to be diagnosed with one of about 20 conditions, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and intractable pain, among others.

The bill also prohibits raw cannabis, smoking, vaping and candy or baked good products. Patients would instead be allowed to purchase capsules, lozenges, oils, suppositories and topical patches.

"I would like to again thank Sen. Tim Melson and Rep. Mike Ball for their hard work over the last few years and their willingness to address the legitimate concerns," Ivey said. "This is certainly a sensitive and emotional issue and something that is continually being studied. On the state level, we have had a study group that has looked closely at this issue, and I am interested in the potential good medical cannabis can have for those with chronic illnesses or what it can do to improve the quality of life of those in their final days."

Ivey added, "As research evolves, Sen. Melson and I discussed how critical it is to continue finding ways to work on this to ensure we have a productive, safe and responsible operation in Alabama."

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently published a survey gauging support among Alabama physicians if the bill were to pass.

"Thousands of studies have shown the value of cannabinoid-based treatments in cancer, epilepsy, pain and other conditions," said Magdalena Szaflarski, associate professor in the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences at UAB. "In collaboration with the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and other community stakeholders, we conducted a survey of MASA members to understand the levels of support for legalization of medical cannabis among physicians in Alabama."

The survey used a structured online questionnaire that was fielded from February through April and took about 10 minutes to complete. The main question asked respondents how they feel about legalization of provider-recommended use of medical cannabis in Alabama.

To contrast with levels of support for medical cannabis, the research team also asked how they feel, in general, about legalization of recreational cannabis for adult use. Medical specialty information was also collected.

"As expected, the level of support for recreational cannabis legislation among Alabama physicians is markedly lower than for medical cannabis legislation," Szaflarski said.

The team also examined views on medical cannabis legislation among Alabama pediatricians.

"There has been some expectation — and anecdotal evidence — that Alabama pediatricians’ support for medical cannabis legislation would be lower than among all physicians because of concerns about undesirable effects of broadened cannabis access on children and youth," she said.

However, the survey results show no less support for medical cannabis legislation among pediatricians than among all physicians. Some 72 percent of pediatricians agreed with the statement regarding support for medical cannabis legislation.