Alabama

Alabama

As of now Only CBD is accessible in in Alabama; their CBD laws conform to USDA regulations from the 2018 Farm Bill. Patients in Alabama report limited availability of existing products. In May of 2021, Alabama's Governor signed a bill that would provide medical cannabis access to Alabama's citizens with one of 18 conditions which include intractable pain. Patients surveyed in Alabama have noticed no notable changes to access since the passage of these new laws, and there is currently no official start date for patients to access medical cannabis. When the program does begin, patients can expect limited product availability as the legislators who crafted the bill chose to limit available forms of cannabis to only capsules, lozenges, oils, topical patches, and suppositories.

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	29/100
Arrest Protection 0/25 Affirmative Defense 13/20 Parental Rights Protections 16/20 Employment Protections 0/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Explicit Privacy Standards 0/5
Access to Medicine	2/100
Authorizes Retail Access 1/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 0/20 - Authorizes Delivery 0/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 0/10 Personal Cultivation 0/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licenced Retailers 1/30 Reciprocity 0/20
Program Functionality	60/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 20/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 10/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 0/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 0/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 20/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 5/5 - Background Checks 2/2 - Number of Caregivers 3/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 5/5 Access to Administration Methods 0/10 - Allows Dried Flower 0/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 0/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	19/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 0/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 14/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 5/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 0/10
Health and Social Equity	15/100
State Program Protections 0/25 Housing Protections 0/25 Access for Minors 8/10 Access in Underserved Areas 0/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 7/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 0/10 Organ Transplants 0/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 0/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	129/200
Total 27/50 Quality Management Systems 10/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 6/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 1/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 6/8 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 1/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 0/3 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 4/7 Total 27/50 Quality Management Systems 10/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 6/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 0/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 7/10 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 1/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Residual Solvents 1/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 1/5 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 0/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 3/5 Total 41/50 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 6/7 - Facility Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 0/1 Product Testing 5/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 5/5 - COA Disclosure 0/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 10/13 Total 34/50 Independent or Third-Party 5/5 Laboratory Sampling 5/5 Method Validation 4/4 Quality Management Systems 5/5 Staff Training 10/20 Standard Operating Procedures 5/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 1/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Result Reporting 0/4
Score Penalties	16/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 0/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 10/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 1/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 5/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2021 State of the States Report.