Alabama publishes rules for doctors to prescribe cannabis

New draft rules released last week by Alabama regulators provide insight into how and when doctors in the state can recommend medicinal cannabis under the new law.

The Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners offered the rules for public comment Thursday, saying they were “developed in accordance with the state’s new medical cannabis law approved earlier this year by the state legislature and by the governor.” was signed ”. . “

The Board of Medical Examiners said its draft rule “contains provisions on the registration and training required for physicians to certify or recommend patients for the use of medical cannabis”.

In May, Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed a law legalizing medical cannabis in the state. The new law came into force immediately, although patient approvals are not expected to take place until next year.

The draft rule, announced last week by the Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners, states that doctors can recommend medical cannabis for any of the following symptoms or conditions, as long as there is evidence to suggest that “conventional medical treatment or therapy has failed for, current medical treatment “indicates that medical cannabis use is the standard of care”: Autism Spectrum Disorder; cancer-related cachexia, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, or chronic pain; Crohn’s disease; Depression; Epilepsy or any condition that causes seizures; HIV / AIDS-related nausea or weight loss; Panic disorder; Parkinson’s Disease; persistent nausea that does not respond significantly to traditional treatment other than pregnancy-related nausea, cannabis-induced cyclic vomiting, or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Sickle cell anemia; Spasticity associated with motor neuron disease including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Spasticity related to multiple sclerosis (MS) or a spinal cord injury; incurable disease; and Tourette syndrome.

The Board of Medical Examiners said the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which oversees the implementation of the new medical cannabis law, “is addressing other aspects of the new law, such as licensing of growers, manufacturers and pharmacies.”

The Board now accepts “Submissions of data, views or arguments on the proposed rules will be accepted until January 4, 2022”, at which point the “deadline for public comments will be closed and the Board will take into account the comments received and” in a later date Take further action at the meeting. “

Alabama lawmakers passed medical cannabis legalization bill this spring that put an end to years of efforts by lawyers in the state to get the bill passed.

Legislators considered a medical cannabis bill in 2019, but instead of legalizing treatment, lawmakers took a more cautious route and set up a special commission to study the policy. In late 2019, this commission recommended voting to recommend the legalization of medical cannabis to lawmakers.

The bill finally made it onto Ivey’s desk in May, and the GOP governor finally added her signature to the bill a little over a week after the legislature passed.

“This is certainly a sensitive and emotional topic and is constantly being investigated,” Ivey said in a statement at the time. “At the state level, we had a study group that has done a lot of research on this topic, and I’m interested in the potential that good medical cannabis can have for the chronically ill or what it can do to improve the quality of life for these people.” her last days. “

Last month, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission said cannabis probably won’t be available for purchase to patients until next year.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported at the time that the commission “had to address other duties, including prescribing and training doctors” and “addressing concerns that further legislative action – needed to move the data – the law for medicinal cannabis could be subjected to attempts to weaken it. “