Alabama Medical Marijuana Laws and Regulations
In 2014, the Alabama state legislature passed SB 174, a restrictive cannabidiol (CBD) law. Officially entitled "Carly's Law," it offers an affirmative defense for the possession and use of CBD; however, the program is extremely limited and may not be able to provide CBD-rich medicine to patients in Alabama.
In 2016, HB 61 (also known as Leni's Law) was passed, which expanded the affirmative defense to several conditions and removed the requirement that patients must be enrolled in the UAB study program. Under HB 61, patients are eligible for the affirmative defense if they are simply diagnosed with a debilitating condition, regardless of the age of the patient. However, because physicians cannot write prescriptions for medical cannabis, parents of minor-aged patients may be ineligible for legal protections.
In August 2019, the state launched a 15 member Medical Cannabis Study Commission to fact find and provide a recommendation on the legalization of medical cannabis to the legislature.
Law:
Creates an affirmative defense for the possession and use of CBD under limited circumstances.
Extends low-THC extract affirmative defense to patients with more qualifying conditions as well as parent caregivers.
Regulations:
University of Alabama-Birmingham’s CBD study program
State Advocacy Resources
