It was this week that the Alabama state Senate began to debate on medical marijuana but had adjourned before taking a vote on a bill authorizing it in the state.
Sen. Tim Melson, R of Florence, is the one who sponsored the bill, which will allow the use of medical marijuana for certain conditions if other treatments prove ineffective.
A patient would need to have recommendations from two physicians and would have to submit to random drug testing.
“It’s not a Republican or Democrat issue to me,” said Melson. “It’s a patient issue. And when you’ve got certain patients out there that have medical conditions and they can benefit from it, I think it’s time to give them the opportunity to participate in it.”
Melson’s bill passed a procedural motion 21 to 3.
The bill later had a filibuster from Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, an OB/GYN who said, “I guess what I’m wanting you to convince me of is this is not a snake-oil salesman out of the back of a covered wagon, saying ‘This cures everything.’”
As part of the bill, the list of covered conditions includes opioid addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, PTSD, and muscular conditions.
The legislation would create an 11-member commission with powers to regulate medical marijuana, as well as the ability to expand or contract the list of conditions that would be eligible for marijuana. The legislation would also regulate those who grow marijuana for medical purposes.
