Sponsor says Alabama medical marijuana bill not harmed by committee changes

Alabama lawmakers today did not materially change a bill to legalize and regulate medical cannabis products in Alabama as they prepared for an important vote on the legislation, the sponsor said.

The Alabama House Health Committee held a public hearing on the bill from Senator Tim Melson, a Florence Republican who is a doctor and medical researcher. After the hearing, the committee sorted the proposed changes. But Melson said no one who weakened the bill was accepted.

Melson’s bill already has passed the Senate. The health committee is due to vote on the bill on Thursday.

“I feel good about the vote,” said Melson. “I don’t know. I’ve been shocked in this building a few times, but I think we’ll be fine.”

The committee’s approval would bring the bill into line for House approval. Alabama would be the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana.

The bill would regulate the manufacture and use of medical marijuana products from growing the plants to making, packaging and shipping the products to selling them to patients in pharmacies.

Doctors could issue medical cannabis cards and recommend medical marijuana products for a variety of symptoms and conditions, including chronic pain, insomnia, seizures, weight loss, and cancer nausea, and others.

The bill would not allow the use of raw plant material or products that could be smoked.

Four people spoke out against the bill during the public hearing and three spoke out in favor.

Christine Carr, a certified nurse anesthetist from Pelham, said the bill was not based on good science. Carr called it a business bill designed as a health bill that blames patients for profits.

Dr. Marsha Raulerson, a Brewton pediatrician who has been a doctor for more than 40 years, also spoke out against the bill. Raulerson said marijuana was harmful and addicting.

Melissa Mullins spoke out in favor of the bill. Mullins said her husband had severe side effects from medications he was taking for a seizure disorder. She said her teenage daughter had autism. Seizure disorders and autism are two of the conditions that Melson’s bill could treat with medical marijuana products.

After the public hearing, the Health Committee legislators proposed changes to the bill. Some have been adopted, including one that removed fibromyalgia, menopause, and premenstrual syndrome from the list of around 15 conditions or symptoms for which doctors could recommend medical marijuana.

The committee generally rejected the amendments that Melson had rejected.

“They came up with amendments,” said Melson, “I wasn’t surprised. I knew what was coming. We accepted a few that I think would not hurt the bill, maybe make them better. Then we tabled a few which I thought would only reduce the benefits of the bill. “

Melson said if the bill is out of committee on Thursday, he expects to get a vote on the floor of the house for the first time in three years the bill has been sponsored.

In 2019 the Senate passed the law. The house changed it to appoint a medical cannabis study commission.

Last year the Senate passed the bill again, but it barely stood a chance in the house after the COVID-19 pandemic suspended and abandoned the session.