Great news! For the first time ever, a medical cannabis bill is headed to the Alabama House floor. This morning, the House Health Committee advanced the Compassion Act — SB 46 — to the full House of Representatives in a voice vote. The Senate has already passed SB 46 in 21-8 vote. (However, because the bill was amended in the House, it would have to go back to the Senate again.)
Alabama lags behind almost every state in the nation on cannabis policy. It is one of only 14 states without a medical cannabis law, and one of only 19 that still jails individuals for simple possession. With your help, that could finally change this year! The Alabama Senate overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis legislation in February, for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to reduce the penalty for cannabis possession to a fine.
Just a few weeks ago, before life changed dramatically, the Compassion Act (SB 165) was primed for action in the House. The Senate had already passed the bill in a 22-11 vote, and the House appeared to be poised to take up the issue. Then, unfortunately, the legislature was forced to leave important work unfinished in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
This setback is a tremendous disappointment for patients, who have been working for many years to convince the legislature to pass medical…
