The Alabama state Senate passed a bill Thursday that would legalize the use of medical marijuana. The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson (R), an anesthesiologist and medical researcher, passed by a vote of 17-6. ADVERTISEMENT The Senate had debated the bill Wednesday but delayed a vote. The legislation now moves to the state House. Alabama would become the 34th state to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes should the bill become law. The bill would create a nine-person Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission to establish a registry system and properly implement the legislation. It also extends additional legislation authorizing the University of Alabama at Birmingham to conduct research on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) in specified circumstances until 2021. The legislation includes several measures to prevent abuse of medical marijuana, including a clause mandating that a patient would have to get a recommendation for the drug from a doctor that would need to approved by a second doctor. Those seeking to obtain medical marijuana would also have to go through a criminal background check. Melson has said he believes medical marijuana could help people for whom available treatment options have not worked, according to AL.com. He’s also said it could help reduce reliance on opioids.<doc-sep>A plan to allow the production and use of medical marijuana in Alabama advanced a step in the State House today. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on the bill by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, then voted to approve the bill. The vote was 6-2 with three abstentions. The bill by Melson, a physician, would allow people with certain conditions to receive a medical cannabis card and would create a Medical Cannabis Commission, which would issue the cards and also licenses for the cultivation, production and sales of medical marijuana. A medical marijuana bill is also pending in the Alabama House of Representatives. Melson, whose professional work involves medical research, said he did not take the issue lightly and was willing to hear concerns as the bill advances to the Senate floor. “You’ve got take everything as it is and let this go by the facts, not the emotions,” Melson said. Clay Hammac, commander of Shelby County Drug Enforcement, said the bill would send an incorrect message that marijuana is safe and would hurt efforts to enforce the law against it. Dr. Jerzy Szaflarski, a neurology professor at UAB who was one of the leaders in a study on the treatment epilepsy with a cannabis derivative, spoke in favor of the bill. The study was authorized by Carly’s Law, which was passed by the Legislature in 2014. “There is potential for a cannabis to be helpful in many conditions,” Szaflarski said. "We need to explore that. At this point we are very limited by the laws and having a law that is more permissive will allow us to try it in patients who have various conditions where it may work that currently have no access to cannabis products." In addition to epilepsy, Szaflarski, said there is evidence medical marijuana or cannabis-derived products can help patients with pain, multiple sclerosis, and muscle cramps associated with Lou Gehrig’s disease. “There’s a lot of evidence that it will help muscle spasms. A lot of evidence that it helps pain. Patients with fibromyalgia report a much better symptom relief than using the standard prescription medications. There are multiple other conditions,” he said. Szaflarski said authorization of the use of medical marijuana for chronic pain could help reduce the problem of opioid addiction. “There is a host of potential conditions that we may be able to use cannabis products,” he said. "Arthritis, back pain, migraines." Linda Lee, executive director of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke against the bill, saying that the academy opposes any medical marijuana usage that falls outside Food and Drug Administration regulations. “We recognize that anecdotal accounts have shown that certain marijuana compounds can benefit some children with chronic, life-limiting, debilitating conditions,” Lee said. "We have no doubt about that." But Lee said the academy has concerns about the lack of study on medical marijuana products and the dangers of of the products falling into the hands of children. In addition, Lee said the FDA has approved four drugs from marijuana derivatives, one CBD-based and three THC-based. “The FDA does extensive research that we in our state don’t have,” Lee said. "These four drugs are already approved. So, therefore, this law is not needed." Dustin Chandler of Hoover, who led other families in a successful lobbying effort to pass Carly’s Law five years ago, spoke to the committee in favor of the bill. Chandler said his daughter Carly, who suffers from a condition that caused frequent and severe seizures, has been helped by the cannabidiol prescribed in the study. “If my daughter could talk, she’s receiving help and I know she would tell me to say, ‘Daddy, why aren’t we helping other people?’” Chandler said. “Knowing it could potentially help thousands if not millions of more people, why are we not doing that.” The medical marijuana bill in the House is sponsored by Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, a retired law enforcement investigator. It has not been heard in committee yet. Alabama and national politics.<doc-sep>
The Alabama Senate hurriedly passed a bill this morning to allow medical marijuana. The Senate voted 17-6 for the bill, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, an anesthesiologist and medical researcher. The Senate took the vote shortly after saying the Pledge of Allegiance to start the day. There was no discussion of the bill before the vote. The Senate discussed the bill on Wednesday but delayed a vote. The bill moves to the House of Representatives. Melson said Alabama would be the 34th state to adopt medical marijuana. Melson said he believes medical marijuana offers potential help for people who haven’t gotten help from available treatment options and said it could help reduce reliance on opioids. “I think down the road we’re going to see more benefits and minimal, minimal abuse of this,” Melson said. Melson said the bill includes sufficient “gatekeepers” to prevent abuse of medical marijuana. Under the bill, a doctor could recommend the use of cannabis to treat the symptoms associated with about a dozen conditions listed in the bill, including: autism spectrum disorder; epilepsy; cancer; degenerative or pervasive neurological disorders; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; multiple sclerosis; muscle disorders, including those associated with muscle spasms; opioid addiction; pain syndromes or pain associated with other medical conditions; and post traumatic stress disorder. A doctor would have to conduct a physical examination before making the recommendation. The doctor would refer the patient to a second doctor who is a specialist in treating the qualifying condition, Melson said. Doctors recommending medical cannabis would have to receive 10 hours of continuing education in cannabis treatment annually. The bill would create an 11-member Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. Among its initial responsibilities would be to create an application form for a medical cannabis card; establish a website for public access and information; and establish a patient registry. Doctors issuing patients a certification to patients to receive medical marijuana would enter the patients’ names in the registry. The governor, Senate president pro tem and House speaker would each appoint three members to the commission. The attorney general would appoint two. The law sets qualifications for commission members. Some would have to be physicians specializing in certain areas, including neurology, physical pain management, oncology and psychiatry. Appointees would include a pharmacist, a mental health/substance abuse professional and two members with experience in agriculture. This story was edited at 4:44 p.m. on May 27 to correct the name of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.