Alabama Announces Draft Rules for Medical Cannabis

The Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners has announced draft rules for how doctors in the state will be able to recommend cannabis products to patients suffering from chronic pain, anxiety disorder, depression and other conditions.

In May, legislation supporting a medical cannabis program in Alabama passed with support from lawmakers in both parties. Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill into law on May 17, making Alabama the 37th state in the U.S. to legalize medical cannabis.

The draft rules outline how medical practitioners can qualify to participate in the program as well as what conditions are eligible for treatment, local media outlet AL.com reported.

The guidelines cover 15 categories of conditions and symptoms, mandating that medical marijuana be used “only after documentation indicates that conventional medical treatment or therapy has failed, unless current medical treatment indicates that use of medical cannabis is the standard of care.”

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission is also establishing an intrastate seed-to-sale program that is expected to bring medical marijuana products to market in 2023. Alabama plans to produce medical marijuana products with cannabis produced by local licensed cultivators.

Alabama cannabis commission briefed on THC doses
In related news, commission member Sam Blakemore spoke to the commission about the various kinds of marijuana that could be made available, AL.com reported.

Blakemore told the commission that 2.5mg of THC qualified as a threshold dose for individual users, while doses of 20 to 30mg and above risked psychoactive and other adverse effects.

He also discussed warning and information labels for cannabis products. Blakemore said QR codes on labels could allow for product tracking from “seed to sale.” Labels on approved products would also include information such as product and serving information, THC and CBD measurements, ingredients, health warnings and expiration dates.

The commission’s work was a step forward in making medical marijuana closer to a reality in Alabama, State Rep. Mike Ball told WAAY-31.

“I think the commission was carefully selected,” said Ball, a medical marijuana advocate. “I think the legislation that was eventually passed was thought through. It was very deliberate. It’s a deliberate but positive first step in finding a way to effectively manage this where people who can be helped will be helped.”