Marijuana laws
Marijuana laws are state and local laws that prohibit or restrict the cultivation, sale, use, or possession of cannabis sativa, a plant that has been cultivated for industrial uses as well as for its psychoactive properties.
Industrial hemp
The 2016 Alabama Industrial Hemp Research Program Act provided a legal distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana within the confines of state-operated research programs.
CBD
The sale or possession of CBD in Alabama is generally held to be illegal, except for certain exceptions established by law. Relevant statues include the 2014 Carly's Law which provides an "affirmative defense" to people prescribed CBD as part of a study conducted by the UAB Department of Neurology to treat debilitating epilepsy, and 2016 Leni's Law, which expands that defense to any patient prescribed CBD for the treatment of conditions causing chronic or debilitating seizures, and expressly includes the parents or guardians of minors being treated.
Certain regulatory recommendations from federal agencies have been reflected in rules adopted by state agencies, as well. The Alabama Department of Public Health has allowed the sale of FDA-approved drugs containing CBD under certain conditions.
References
- "Industrial Hemp Cultivation Now Approved in Alabama." (May 14, 2016) National Hemp Association
- Taylor, Stephanie (October 10, 2018) "Tuscaloosa drug task force targets sale of CBD oil." The Tuscaloosa News
- Cason, Mike (November 20, 2018) "Cannabidiol still illegal; Alabama AG explains narrow exceptions." The Birmingham News