UPDATE – 9:20 am- Medical Marijuana bill passes Senate Judiciary Committee. It now heads to the full Alabama Senate for a vote.
MONTGOMERY, AL (WIAT) -The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee is set to take up a bill related to medical marijuana Wednesday.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Tim Melson. It is similar to a bill in the House by Representative Mike Ball.
It’s called the Compassion, Access, Research and Expansion (CARE) Act, and it would allow people with a qualifying condition to obtain medical grade cannabis.
This bill would also establish the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. Ball says that group would oversee which doctors could prescribe cannabis, who gets cards to purchase the marijuana, and which dispensaries and growers get a license to operate.
Alabama has allowed for limited marijuana derivatives to help people with certain medical conditions.
Lawmakers and health experts weigh-in:
