It’s a milestone years in the making, with patients in Alabama taking a major step closer to accessing medical marijuana.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Compassion Act into law in 2021, legalizing medical cannabis for qualifying patients. Three years later, the state awarded licenses to growers in Alabama. Last December, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission approved licenses for four dispensaries, though none have opened yet.
Earlier this year, the commission opened a patient registry.
Nearly 200 Alabamians have received medical cannabis cards. Brenda Keeney of Vincent is one of them.
“I have my card right here, and I can’t even get medicine,” Keeney said. “This is ridiculous.”
Keeney said she is frustrated because she suffers from fibromyalgia and neuropathy. Her doctor recommended medical cannabis as a treatment option. She said the alternative is narcotics, which she has used before.
“I felt drugged sometimes,” Keeney said. “I could feel drugged, and I didn’t feel pain-free. It took more and more and more to get the edge off or to feel somewhat pain-free.”
Keeney moved to Vincent from Florida, where medical cannabis has been legal for more than a decade. She used cannabis there after being diagnosed with cancer. She said she would rather use a plant than a pill.
“Marijuana, to me, is more natural,” Keeney said. “Even eating a simple gummy, it takes away that pain. It takes away that inflammation within my body, and it helps me to relax. Therefore, when your body is at a more relaxed state, and you’re more calm, the pain goes away, subsides.”
With more than 50 doctors now certified to recommend medical cannabis in Alabama, the number of cardholders is expected to grow.
The Alabama Cannabis Coalition, a nonprofit group advocating for legalization, has outlined the steps patients need to take to obtain a card and navigate the state’s new medical cannabis program.
You can find that information here.
Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.