QUALIFYING PATIENTS IN ALABAMA

To become a patient eligible for CBD under Leni's Law, you must receive a diagnosis for a serious condition that is resistant to conventional medicine from a physician with whom you have a bona-fide physician-patient relationship and the CBD must be likely to provide the patient with therapeutic or palliative relief. The registered certifying physician can then begin the process of patient registration following the specific steps and requirements needed to do so.

Carly's Law previously required participation in a University of Alabama clinical trial to become a legal patient, but this is no longer the case. There is no formal application process to become a patient. The only way to gain legal access to medical cannabis through Leni's Law is by being provided CBD by a physician.

Eligible Medical Conditions:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Cancer-related cachexia, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, chronic pain
  • Crohn's Disease
  • Depression
  • Epilepsy or a condition causing seizures
  • HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss
  • Panic Disorder
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Persistent nausea
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Sickle Cell Anemia
  • Spasticity associated with Multiple Sclerosis or spinal cord injury
  • A terminal illness
  • Tourette's Syndrome
  • Condition causing chronic or intractable pain

Becoming a Patient as a Minor:

Minors are eligible for the affirmative defense and parents of minors who would be eligible are also covered by the affirmative defense regarding possession of CBD for the use of those minors.

Additionally, state and local governments cannot initiate removal proceedings to remove a child from the home of a parent based solely on the parent or child's possession of CBD that is eligible for the affirmative defense.

Carly's Law previously provided a protection for caretakers of patients, but this was deleted under the Leni's Law amendments.

Benefits of Being a Patient:

Patients in Alabama are given an affirmative legal defense for the possession of CBD.

Becoming a Caregiver:

There is no system for caregivers in the state of Alabama.

Medical cannabis patients can find additional resources here.