MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama legislature has overcome years of resistance in approving medical marijuana legislation.
The House vote to pass the bill came Thursday after two days of long and emotional debate in which key Republican lawmakers described switching sides in favor of the proposal.
The Alabama Senate later voted to accept House changes and sent the legislation to Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration.
The bill would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase marijuana after getting a recommendation from a doctor.
A spokeswoman for the governor said she would give the bill her diligent consideration.
If approved by Ivey, Alabama would become the 37th state to legalize cannabis for medical use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Specifically, the Alabama bill would set up a system to regulate medical marijuana from the cultivation of plants to the sale of products at licensed dispensaries at up to 12 locations in the state, AL.com reports.
According to the local news outlet, the those with the following ailments could be prescribed the medical pot: chronic pain, nausea and weight loss from cancer and HIV/AIDS, depression, Chron’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, autism, panic disorder, PTSD, sickle cell anemia, spasticity caused by certain diseases or a spinal cord injury, Tourette’s Syndrome, and terminal illnesses.
