Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs the Compassion Act May 17.
With the medical cannabis act now signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey, Alabama residents can legally consume marijuana—with a whole lot of exceptions.
Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere said she wanted to clear up those exceptions to make sure that, for both residents and law enforcement, no mistakes were made in the aftermath of the bill’s signing.
“My No. 1 concern is that people are going to be confused about what they can do, what they can’t do, and when they can do it,” Ventiere said. “I want everyone to be aware on the front end of the limitations of this statute so we don’t have people getting arrested based on a misunderstanding of the limitations of this particular statute.”
According to Ventiere’s interpretation of the “Compassion Act” signed by the governor, the law does not allow for the recreational use of marijuana or cannabis products.
Those who are able to qualify for medical cannabis can only consume it in oral tablets, capsules, tinctures, non-sugar coated gelatinous cubes, suppositories, skin patches, nebulizers, inhalers, gels, oils, creams or other topical applications, meaning that even if one qualifies for the legal use of cannabis, they still cannot smoke it, vape it or mix it into a food product like brownies or cookies.
Additionally, Ventiere said the law would create a “wholly intrastate system” for the cultivation, processing and distribution of medical cannabis, meaning if an Alabamaian were to qualify for medical cannabis consumption in Alabama, it would still be illegal for them to consume marijuana products from other states.
