CONTRIBUTED BY
MELISSA MULLINS
Alabamians 4 Medical Cannabis Freedom & Disability Rights is a nonprofit, grassroots, nonpartisan, and registered Alabama Cannabis/Disability Rights advocacy organization. First, we want to thank the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Members for their work during the recent ‘off’ session. We know it has been tedious to start the implementation process of the Medical Cannabis program for Alabama.
We will continue to lobby the Alabama Legislature to expand the Medical Cannabis program and correct any issue that prevents Alabama patients from gaining access sooner rather than later.
We have collectively adopted the Legislative Asks (see below) for the 2022 Legislative session.
Tuesday, Jan. 11, begins the 2022 Legislative Session. We have a Lobby Day on Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. in The Alabama State House room 324. We will be joining the Alabama Cannabis Coalition, Alabama Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition, and the Libertarian Party of Alabama.
We invite everyone to come see us and let’s discuss the progress of Cannabis in Alabama, the current state of Cannabis in Alabama and how we can continue to rally the troops to stand up and be heard in an
effort to open minds and hearts as to the medicinal and therapeutic qualities of Cannabis. We are ready to e back in the State House and walk those halls lobbying for you — the patient and citizen.
2022 LEGISLATIVE ASKS:
1. Expungement and Decriminalization. Nobody should be in jail for Cannabis. Our jails and prisons are
overcrowded and understaffed- with no room for real criminals. A murderer should be in jail-NOT a Cannabis consumer.
Cancer and other medical patients that see beneficial changes to their conditions, should not have to worry about going to jail. #legallydeadorillegallyalive
2. Remove the stipulation that requires physicians to request license suspension, if a patient is recommended to take more than the 75 mg daily dose allowed.
This violates the right of patients to be able to legally provide for themselves. How would they get to doctor appointments?
How would they travel to the grocery store for food? Patients should not feel forced to commit a crime based solely on a medical condition. We also feel that it steps on the patients’ rights by punishing the patient for having a debilitating medical condition, that they didn’t ask for.
3. Place a Veteran and/or patient on the Medical Cannabis Commission. The people are the stakeholders in this program, and they should have someone understanding of them to represent them.
4. Reinstate the option that allows physicians to petition the Commission, for the addition of qualified medical conditions. Having to petition, via the legislature, every session will weight down the legislative
process and will be at the bottom of priority.
Alabamians 4 Medical Cannabis Freedom & Disability Rights is committed and dedicated to fighting for you — the patient — in Montgomery. Keep the faith and stay the course.
Melissa Mullins
Founder/President
Alabamians 4 Medical Cannabis Freedom & Disability Rights Alabama Registered Cannabis Lobbyist al4medicalcannabisfreedom@gmail.com www.alabamians4medicalcannabisfreedom.org/