State legislators in Alabama, Kentucky and South Carolina have filed or pre-filed bills establishing such medical marijuana programs, according to a Reckon report.
These states would join Mississippi, the latest state to adopt a medical cannabis program, making it the 35th state to legalize medical cannabis.
In Alabama, state Sen. Tim Melson plans to file a medical cannabis bill similar to the one he filed in 2020.
This will be the third year Melson has presented a medical cannabis bill in the state legislature.
Smokable and vaping medical cannabis products would not be authorized under the bill, only tablets, certain types of edibles and creams. It would not allow any food products containing cannabis, like cookies or candies.
Patients suffering from several conditions could qualify for cards. Patients who don’t suffer from any of the conditions listed in the bill could appeal to a board for special consideration.
In South Carolina, state Rep. Bill Herbkersman and state Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican and Democrat, respectively, have prefilled versions of the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act.
In 2018 and in 2020, versions of the bill failed.
The bill outlines restrictions on how much a medical cannabis a patient may possession at one time and the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) allowed in each type of medical cannabis product.
The bill also creates a 6 percent tax on all medical cannabis products.
Several Kentucky legislators have jointly filed a bipartisan bill that creates a Division of Medical Cannabis and creates a director and a board, which will set regulations regarding daily, 10-day and 30-day supply limits and create limits on how much THC is allowed in each type of medical cannabis product.
The bill also protects out-of-state medical cannabis patients and caregivers from arrest if they are found in possession of cannabis while in South Carolina. Qualified patients are forbidden from using cannabis while operating a car, boat or airplane. The bill also allows employers to maintain their drug testing and workplace drug policies.
