A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Alabama was picking up bipartisan support at the Statehouse in spring 2019, moving lawmakers closer to a vote on allowing patients with certain conditions to use medical-grade cannabis.
The measure was sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, a Republican with a background in medical research, and it drew backing from an unexpected corner of the medical establishment: researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Carly’s Law and a Father’s Fight
Among the most prominent voices for the bill was Dustin Chandler, father of 8-year-old Carly, the namesake of Carly’s Law — the earlier statute that allowed her to receive medical-grade cannabis under a doctor’s supervision. Carly suffers from CDKL5 deficiency disorder, which causes seizures.
“Your daughter that’s being affected by something that you can’t control and you finally get help for it — and then knowing that it could potentially help thousands of others, why aren’t we doing that?” Chandler said. “If my daughter could talk, she’s receiving help, and I know she would tell me, ‘Daddy, why aren’t we helping other people?'”
Researchers See Potential; Police Push Back
Dr. Jerzy Szaflaski of UAB said cannabis showed potential to help with many conditions and that the bill would give researchers like him the opportunity to study it further.
The strongest opposition came from law enforcement. “If this passes, it will greatly hinder any enforcement opportunity enforcement may have with possession of marijuana,” warned Clay Hammac, director of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force, who feared the bill could open the door to broader legalization.
The debate set the stage for what would become a multi-year effort that eventually brought limited medical cannabis to Alabama — legislation that affected patients in South Alabama and across the state alike.