How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Alabama in 2023
Article written by
Elena Schmidt
Content reviewed by
Ruth LemonChief of Staff
Medical marijuana is not available in Alabama, so you cannot get a medical marijuana card in the state.
Governor Kay Ivey signed Alabama’s medical cannabis law, Senate Bill 46, in 2021. The law permits licensed growers, processors, and distributors to produce medical marijuana and sets a plan to establish the state’s medical cannabis industry.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission hopes to launch the program in late 2023, allowing residents with 15 qualifying conditions to apply for access. Until then, residents cannot receive a medical marijuana card in Alabama or purchase cannabis to help treat medical conditions.
Alabama residents seeking to apply for a medical card online can join Leafwell’s waitlist to be the first to hear when applications are open in the state.
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Benefits of Having a Medical Card in Alabama
Alabama became the 36th state to legalize medical marijuana in May 2021. Once the medical program launches, a patient or caregiver card will be the only way to access cannabis legally in the state. Recreational use is still banned, and residents can be fined or jailed for possessing minor amounts of cannabis.
The benefits of having a medical marijuana card in Alabama will include legal protection, access, and monetary savings.
- Future medical marijuana cardholders in Alabama will be able to access marijuana tablets, capsules, gelatins, oils, gels, creams, suppositories, transdermal patches, and inhaler-based oils legally.
- On the other hand, personal possession is a class A misdemeanor. Alabama offenders can go to jail for a year and pay $6,000 in fines for a small amount.
- Medical marijuana patients will be able to consume up to 50 milligrams of legal marijuana daily to start. After three months, patients can take up to 75 milligrams daily, pending a doctor’s recommendation. In total, patients could possess up to 60 daily doses of cannabis at a time.
- Terminal patients will not have a dosage limit.
Eligibility Requirements
Adult residents who want to consume medical marijuana must apply for and receive a medical cannabis card in Alabama once the state starts accepting applications. To qualify for an Alabama medical cannabis card, patients must have one of 15 qualifying conditions, obtain a medical examiner recommendation, and pay fees up to $50 each first year. Qualified patients must be 19.
Can Minors Get a Medical Card in Alabama?
Minors under 19 can get a medical cannabis card in Alabama but can only access cannabis below 3% THC concentration.
Alabama patients under 19 who wish to receive medical cannabis below 3% can ask their parent or guardian to request a doctor’s prescription. The patient must have a diagnosis for one of 15 qualifying conditions, be registered with Alabama Cannabis Commission, and have an authorized caregiver who holds a valid caregiver’s medical cannabis card issued by the Commission.
Qualifying Conditions
Alabama’s qualifying conditions will include the following:
- AIDS/HIV-related nausea or weight loss
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cancer-related cachexia (weight or muscle loss), nausea or vomiting, weight loss, or chronic pain
- Conditions causing chronic or intractable pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Depression
- Epilepsy or a condition causing seizures
- Panic disorder
- Parkinson’s disease
- Persistent nausea
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Sickle cell anemia
- Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries
- Terminal illness
- Tourette’s syndrome
How to Apply
When Alabama’s medical cannabis program launches, resident adults 19 or older can apply to become registered qualified cardholders. To receive an Alabama medical marijuana card, patients must first obtain a certified physician recommendation and apply through the Commission’s electronic registration system.
Patients must have an established relationship with a registered certifying practitioner that can recommend medical cannabis use. The State Board of Medical Examiners must authorize physicians, complete four four-hour medical cannabis courses, have an active Alabama DEA registration, and pay a $300 fee, among other requirements. Physicians must also prove they have an established relationship with the qualifying patient.
Documents You’ll Need
Prospective medical cannabis cardholders in Alabama will need the following:
- A medical marijuana recommendation certification from a registered certifying physician. The physician certification must include written attestations that they have an established relationship with the patient; that the patient has a qualifying condition; that conventional therapy has failed; that the patient has given consent, and that the physician has followed all state requirements.
- Patient registration fee.
- Patient’s government-issued ID, such as a license, ID card, or social security card.
- The physician’s government ID.
- A digital color photograph of the patient taken no more than 30 days before submission
- Written “attestation” from the patient that they’ve received risks and benefits education from their physician; they have given treatment consent to the physician and will comply with all provisions of the Act.
- Completed electronic application, including personal contact information
- Any additional information the Commission may reasonably require in the future
Steps to Apply
Patients will need to follow the steps below to apply for a medical cannabis card in Alabama when the program launches later this year.
- Set an appointment with a current physician who is also licensed to recommend medical cannabis in Alabama.
- Request the physician complete a patient registration submission to the Commission with all written attestations.
- Submit the required documentation and complete the electronic application within 60 days of the physician’s original certification.
- Pay associated fees.
- Wait for registration confirmation and a virtual or physical medical cannabis card.
Registration is valid for one year, and you must renew your patient registration annually no less than 14 days before the expiration date listed on your medical cannabis card.
What to Expect During Your Leafwell Appointment
Leafwell does not offer medical marijuana card appointments for Alabama patients.
Leafwell appointments are HIPPA-compliant and typically more affordable than in-person visits. Patients simply need a cell phone, tablet, or computer and five to 10 minutes for the entire call.
In the future, Alabama residents may be able to schedule a video conference with one of Leafwell’s doctors through our simple online registration system.
All Leafwell healthcare providers are licensed and provide eligible patients with certifications within 48 hours of the appointment. Fees of up to $199 may apply.
Costs
Alabama patients and caregivers must pay fees for new card registrations and renewals.
- Patient registration application fee for a physical medical cannabis card is $50.
- The virtual cannabis card fee is $40.
- Caregiver fees are also $50 for a physical card and $40 for a virtual card.
- Annual renewal fees cost the same as registration fees.
- Replacement card fees are $25 for physical cards and $20 for virtual cards for patients and caregivers.
Medical Marijuana Reciprocity
Alabama does not recognize medical marijuana reciprocity for nonresidents. Out-of-state medical marijuana patients cannot buy cannabis from licensed dispensaries while visiting the state.
Applying as a Caregiver
Alabama caregivers will be able to buy and possess medical cannabis for qualified patients in the state. Caregivers must be 21 unless they are the patient’s parent or guardian. Legal guardians must be at least 19. Caregivers must also be Alabama residents registered with Commission.
Alabama residents must register through the Commission’s electronic portal to obtain a caregiver license. This process includes:
- Submitting all personal information, government ID, and a recent digital color photograph.
- Providing written attestation that the registered certifying physician has explained the possible risks and benefits to the caretaker, that the physician has obtained the caregiver’s consent to treat the patient with cannabis, and that the caregiver agrees to comply with the law.
- Issuing written attestations from the physician and those related to the patient registration. For instance, physicians must provide a written statement indicating the caregiver is suitable for administering medical cannabis.
- Submitting the registered patient’s state ID and cannabis patient ID information.
- Paying the associated application fee ($50 for a physical card and $40 for a virtual card).
- Waiting to receive a digital or physical card.
- Renewing the caregiver card every 12 months, no less than 14 days before expiration.
Patients can designate up to two caregivers, and caregivers can serve up to three patients if they meet certain exceptions. Additionally, caregivers must have a clean criminal record and be excluded from approval if their name appears on any governmental database indicating fraud, illegal behavior, or dishonest conduct.
Where to Buy Medical Marijuana
Medical marijuana dispensaries are not currently operational in Alabama. The Commission hopes to launch licensed dispensaries in the state by late 2023.
Once Alabama dispensaries open, patients and caregivers must show medical cannabis cards to enter. They may also be required to show a state ID.
Cultivation
The Alabama medical marijuana program does not provide home grow provisions, meaning patients cannot cultivate weed at home.
Alabama Medical Marijuana Laws to Know
- Alabama medical marijuana patients can access medical cannabis products like oral tablets, capsules, tinctures, inhalers, and lotions. They may not access smokable flower, vapes, sugar-filled edibles, or raw cannabis-based food.
- Patients may purchase and possess up to a 60-supply of cannabis from a medical dispensary. If they revisit the dispensary before 60 days, they may buy the doses equivalent to the number of days since the last purchase.
- To apply for an Alabama medical cannabis card, patients must be at least 19, diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition, and registered with Cannabis Commission.
- Medical cannabis card registrations and renewals cost $40 to $50.
- Alabama’s medical marijuana program will not recognize reciprocity, meaning out-of-state cardholders cannot purchase marijuana from state dispensaries.
- Registered patients and caregivers must renew applications yearly, two weeks before the expiration date indicated on the Alabama medical card.
Get the complete list of Alabama medical marijuana laws for patients and caregivers here.
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