Cannabis Law: State of Alabama Approves Medical Marijuana

On May 17, 2021, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a medical marijuana program into law. Alabama is the 37^th state to pass a medical marijuana program in the United States. The law, originally Senate Bill 46, is relatively conservative compared to the direction Mississippi was heading in before the Mississippi Supreme Court overturned the state’s Initiative 65. There are more restrictions on who qualifies as a patient, how the medical marijuana can be administered, and available growing locations.

Alabama has taken a step forward in the medical marijuana realm, while Mississippi has taken several steps back. It is devastating for many Mississippians with debilitating medical conditions to see their chance at relief taken by the Mississippi Supreme Court. May the Mississippi legislature look at Alabama’s actions to provide for its citizens, and may Mississippi model the same care for its own citizens.