'Important First Step': Alabama Passes Medical Marijuana Bill After Eight Long Years of Struggle
3 years, 7 months ago

'Important First Step': Alabama Passes Medical Marijuana Bill After Eight Long Years of Struggle

News 18  

Kay Ivey signed medical marijuana legislation Monday as conservative opposition to the issue gradually faded after decades of debate. The approval came eight years after a medical marijuana bill in 2013 won that year’s so-called “Shroud Award” for the “deadest” bill of the year in the House of Representatives. While the bill takes effect immediately, the bill sponsor estimated it will be about 15 months or so before medical marijuana is available in the state. The program authorizes use of medical marijuana to treat for conditions including cancer-related nausea or vomiting, or chronic pain; Crohn’s disease; depression; epilepsy, HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss; panic disorder, Parkinson’s disease; persistent nausea; post-traumatic stress disorder; sickle cell anemia; spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and Tourette’s syndrome. She had first introduced a medical marijuana bill over a decade ago after her son Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall had died of AIDS.

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Alabama approved a medical marijuana program in 2021. Patients are still waiting for it.
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Alabama approved a medical marijuana program in 2021. Patients are still waiting for it.

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — When Amanda Taylor lived in Arizona, she used medical cannabis to relieve the symptoms of her multiple sclerosis, gastroparesis and other ailments. While licensed cultivators have marijuana plants nearing maturity, cannabis products can’t be recommended or sold to patients in Alabama while the entire program remains on hold. But at this point, it’s anger because greed is …

Legal fight continues over medical marijuana licenses in Alabama
1 year, 4 months ago

Legal fight continues over medical marijuana licenses in Alabama

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The availability of medical marijuana remains on hold in Alabama as the legal fight continues over the process used to select companies for the lucrative licenses. Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson on Thursday rejected a request from the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission to postpone a court hearing related to accusations that commissioners improperly deliberated in private …

Kentucky House gives final passage to medical marijuana bill
1 year, 8 months ago

Kentucky House gives final passage to medical marijuana bill

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Medical marijuana advocates achieved a long-sought victory Thursday, when Kentucky lawmakers gave final passage to a measure to legalize access to medical cannabis for people suffering from a defined list of debilitating illnesses. “This is a truly historic day here in the commonwealth and one that many people deserve — especially the constituents who’ve approached me over …

Medical marijuana bill heads to South Carolina House floor
2 years, 8 months ago

Medical marijuana bill heads to South Carolina House floor

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A bill allowing limited use of medical marijuana in South Carolina is heading to the House floor — the furthest the proposal has made it during the eight years its passionate supporters have been pushing for it. The bill’s sponsor said if it passes, South Carolina’s law would be one of the most conservative of the nearly …

Mississippi governor signs law allowing medical marijuana
2 years, 10 months ago

Mississippi governor signs law allowing medical marijuana

Associated Press  

— Mississippi is legalizing medical marijuana for people with debilitating conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease. “There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all the societal and family ills that that brings.” The National Conference of State Legislatures says 36 states …

SC senator gets 7-year wish for medical marijuana debate
2 years, 10 months ago

SC senator gets 7-year wish for medical marijuana debate

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Sen. Tom Davis walked up to the well of the Senate about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday to finally get the medical marijuana debate to which he has dedicated more than seven years of his legislative career. Palmetto Family Council President Dave Wilson wondered why the state Senate prioritized the marijuana debate over other issues like cutting …

Medical marijuana moves 1 step closer in Mississippi
2 years, 11 months ago

Medical marijuana moves 1 step closer in Mississippi

Associated Press  

— Mississippi is moving closer to joining most other states in allowing people to use marijuana to relieve medical conditions. The state House voted 104-14 Wednesday to pass a bill that would create a medical marijuana program. When the bill passed the Senate, it said a person with a marijuana prescription could obtain up to 3.5 grams of the substance …

Medical marijuana advances with Mississippi senate vote
2 years, 11 months ago

Medical marijuana advances with Mississippi senate vote

Associated Press  

— Mississippi senators voted Thursday to advance a bill that would create a medical marijuana program, sending it to the House for more work. Blackwell has been one of the lead negotiators the past several months on creating a medical marijuana program for Mississippi residents with debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell anemia. Tate Reeves has …

Medical marijuana proposal moves to Mississippi Senate
2 years, 11 months ago

Medical marijuana proposal moves to Mississippi Senate

Associated Press  

— A bill to create a medical marijuana program is headed for debate in the Mississippi Senate in coming days. In November 2020, a wide margin of Mississippi voters approved an initiative to allow medical marijuana, and a program was supposed to be in place by the middle of 2021. In May, the state Supreme Court ruled that the initiative …

Mississippi legislators begin session, face marijuana debate
2 years, 11 months ago

Mississippi legislators begin session, face marijuana debate

Associated Press  

— Mississippi legislators began their three-month session Tuesday, and the mother of a man with chronic medical problems implored them to create a medical marijuana program, despite objections from Gov. Creation of a medical marijuana program could be one of the first issues that the Republican-controlled House and Senate consider during the session’s opening weeks. Angie Calhoun, founder and CEO …

Louisiana lawmakers: Strain too slow on medical marijuana
3 years, 1 month ago

Louisiana lawmakers: Strain too slow on medical marijuana

Associated Press  

— Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain came under fire Thursday from state lawmakers who complained his regulatory agency was moving too slowly in expanding the medical marijuana products available to patients. The News-Star reports that Strain, a Republican, told a special legislative commission looking at the state’s medicinal pot program that he won’t compromise public safety to fast-track new products. …

Reeves: Work still happening on medical marijuana proposal
3 years, 2 months ago

Reeves: Work still happening on medical marijuana proposal

Associated Press  

Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he and legislative leaders are continuing to negotiate changes in a proposal to create a medical marijuana program, including putting tight limits on how much of the medicine one person could buy. “I believe very strongly that if we’re going to have a medical marijuana program, it’s very important that we get it done right,” …

Mississippi session requested on medical marijuana proposal
3 years, 3 months ago

Mississippi session requested on medical marijuana proposal

Associated Press  

— Mississippi legislative leaders said Friday that they are asking Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to call the House and Senate into special session to enact a medical marijuana program and approve financial help for hospitals. They also want legislators during the session to authorize death benefit payments for law enforcement officers and first responders who die of COVID-19 and set …

Mississippi negotiators reach proposal on medical marijuana
3 years, 3 months ago

Mississippi negotiators reach proposal on medical marijuana

Associated Press  

— Mississippi House and Senate negotiators said Thursday that they have agreed on a proposed medical marijuana program. “This is not a recreational thing.” Yancey said that if the bill becomes law, cities and counties would be have 90 days to opt out of allowing medical marijuana growing sites, processing facilities and dispensaries. Blackwell said if a city or county …

Mississippi lawmakers work toward medical marijuana program
3 years, 5 months ago

Mississippi lawmakers work toward medical marijuana program

Associated Press  

— Two Mississippi lawmakers say they’re continuing to work on proposals to create a medical marijuana program, two months after the state Supreme Court invalidated one that voters had approved. Yancey said a House bill would be similar to Initiative 65, which voters approved in November to allow medical marijuana use by people with some debilitating conditions. Initiative 65 was …

Lawmakers working to complete medical marijuana bill draft
3 years, 5 months ago

Lawmakers working to complete medical marijuana bill draft

Associated Press  

— Lawmakers working on a proposal to bring a medical marijuana program to Mississippi plan to have a draft of the legislation ready later this summer, Mississippi Gov. The state Supreme Court ruled in May that a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative is void because Mississippi’s initiative process is outdated. Delbert Hosemann, have said the Legislature should honor the will of …

Mississippi protesters: Revive medical marijuana proposal
3 years, 6 months ago

Mississippi protesters: Revive medical marijuana proposal

Associated Press  

— People protested Tuesday near the Mississippi Capitol and the state Supreme Court building to demand that Gov. About 1.3 million people voted in Mississippi in November, and more than 766,000 of them voted in favor of the medical marijuana proposal, Initiative 65. “I don’t think the government should tell people how they should and shouldn’t live,” Allen said in …

Alabama Legislature: What passed and failed on the last day
3 years, 7 months ago

Alabama Legislature: What passed and failed on the last day

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers on Monday concluded the 2021 legislative session. The approval came eight years after a medical marijuana bill in 2013 won that year’s so-called “Shroud Award” for the “deadest” bill of the year in the House of Representatives. WHAT PASSED CURBSIDE VOTING BAN Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill by Republican Rep. Wes Allen of …

Mississippi lawmakers: Revive initiatives, marijuana program
3 years, 7 months ago

Mississippi lawmakers: Revive initiatives, marijuana program

Associated Press  

— Some Mississippi lawmakers say they want Gov. “We 100% believe in the right of the people to use the initiative process to express their views on public policy,” Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday in a statement that did not mention medical marijuana. Republican Sen. Jeremy England of Vancleave said Monday that “there seems to be a sense …

Alabama governor signs medical marijuana legislation
3 years, 7 months ago

Alabama governor signs medical marijuana legislation

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed medical marijuana legislation Monday as conservative opposition to the issue gradually faded after decades of debate. The approval came eight years after a medical marijuana bill in 2013 won that year’s so-called “Shroud Award” for the “deadest” bill of the year in the House of Representatives. The program authorizes use of medical …

Alabama Legislature drops resistance, OKs medical marijuana
3 years, 7 months ago

Alabama Legislature drops resistance, OKs medical marijuana

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers overcame years of resistance and gave final passage to medical marijuana legislation on Thursday, capping a long and emotional debate in which key Republican lawmakers described switching sides in favor of the proposal. The House of Representatives voted 68-34 to pass the bill, which would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase medical …

Medical marijuana bill heads to key House vote
3 years, 8 months ago

Medical marijuana bill heads to key House vote

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A second legislative committee on Thursday approved a medical marijuana bill, putting the proposal in line for a key vote in the House of Representatives. The House Health Committee approved the legislation by Republican Sen. Tim Melson of Florence, that would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase marijuana after getting a recommendation from a …

Alabama House committee advances medical marijuana bill
3 years, 8 months ago

Alabama House committee advances medical marijuana bill

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A medical marijuana bill on Wednesday cleared its first major hurdle in the Alabama House of Representatives. Under the proposal, people could get a doctor’s recommendation to use medical marijuana for more than a dozen types of conditions — including cancer, anxiety, epilepsy, menopause, a terminal illness and chronic pain. A medical marijuana bill in 2013 won …

Alabama Senate approves medical marijuana bill
3 years, 10 months ago

Alabama Senate approves medical marijuana bill

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Senate on Wednesday approved medical marijuana legislation as advocates hope to get the measure enacted after years of setbacks in the conservative state. Senators voted 21-8 to approve the bill by Republican Sen. Tim Melson of Florence that would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase marijuana, in forms such as gels or …

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