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Alabama will not accept applicants for medical marijuana licenses before 2022

A bill to allow the treatment of epileptic seizures with a marijuana derivative has turned into a $1 million medical study that will supply the product to Alabama families.
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A bill to allow the treatment of epileptic seizures with a marijuana derivative has turned into a $1 million medical study that will supply the product to Alabama families.

Medical marijuana supporters say the application date next Sept. 1 means the substance probably won't be available before 2023.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has decided not to request to move the date that people can apply for medical cannabis licenses after saying it might do so last month.

Vice Chairman of the commission Rex Vaughn says that there is too much to do to push for an earlier license application date. Physicians must be trained and rules must be established, and a database to register patients must be created by next September.

Growers and distributors cannot apply for licenses until September of 2022, leading supporters of medical marijuana to believe that the substance won’t be available until 2023.

Alabama lawmakers approved the medical cannabis bill in May after earlier bills had been blocked. The bill will allow doctors to prescribe cannabis for at least 16 conditions including cancer and PTSD.

Lacey Alexander is a digital intern for Alabama Public Radio.
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