The Alabama House is waiting to bring the medical cannabis bill forward as the regular session comes to a close.  SB 46 would legalize the use of medical cannabis in certain forms for qualifying patients. It passed the Senate in February. The bill has been in the House ever since. And it seems that Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R) is doing everything in his power to stall its discussion and vote. If that happens, then the medical cannabis bill will die this session and will have to be taken up in 2022 for consideration.

SB 46

Normally, in Alabama, when the House receives a bill, one committee is assigned the bill for discussion before it moves on to a full floor vote. However, Speaker McCutcheon sent SB 46 to two committees, which has significantly slowed down the process. After being approved by the first committee, SB 46 now awaits discussion in the Rules Committee with Chairman Representative Mike Jones (R).

If approved, SB 46 would legalize the use of cannabis capsules, lozenges, oils, suppositories, or topical patches. Around 30 different qualifying medical conditions could gain access to medical cannabis after a licensed doctor’s prescription is obtained. Even then, there may still be certain restrictions when it comes to quantity and cost. 

Stopping the Vote

Representative Jones seems to be doing everything in his power to avoid discussing SB 46 and the limited medical cannabis program it would legalize. Other bills discussed seem to have less importance for the state over others. 

For example, the Rules Committee voted to make the sweet potato the state vegetable. A group of homeschool students in Northern Alabama wrote Congress about creating a state vegetable after noticing that the state didn’t have one while others did. This bill gained precedence over SB 46 and the sweet potato bill now heads to Governor Ivey for her signature.

What about medical cannabis? Recently 23 out of the 42 district attorneys wrote a fearmonger-based letter to the House of Representatives about not legalizing the medical cannabis bill. Cannabis, according to them, is a ‘gateway drug’ that is dangerous in the hands of the public. While research has proven this statement to be false, many people still believe this statement. And this thought is what many believe is stopping the vote, leading to the death of SB 46. 

Speaking Out

However there are a few lawmakers who are for SB 46 and advocate for its passage. One is the bill’s sponsor, Senator Tim Melon (R). Senator Melon spoke again and again how the bill would legalize medicine, not the drug. He said it won’t open a doorway to recreational legalization. No raw plant is allowed and no smoking or vaping products for medical cannabis will be available. 

A new lawmaker speaking for SB 46 is Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth (R). He took to Twitter, saying “I support legalizing medical marijuana to help those with cancer and other serious medical issues ease their pain. The majority of the medical community agrees. The Alabama House should pass this important bill before the session ends.”

Plus, 91 percent of all Americans agree medical cannabis should legalize. 60 percent believe recreational cannabis should legalize in all states as well. These numbers are a drastic increase from previous years 

Speaker McCutcheon said a vote will come before the end of the session in a couple of weeks. But it remains to be seen if Representative Jones will have the Rules Committee vote on SB 46 before then.

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