Pubdate: Fri, 17 Oct 2003
Source: Tuscaloosa News, The (AL)
Copyright: 2003 The Tuscaloosa News
Contact:  http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1665
Author: Dana Beyerle, Montgomery Bureau Chief

RULING COULD REVIVE INTEREST IN STATE MARIJUANA LAW

MONTGOMERY - Alabama faces a decision on a defunct medical marijuana law 
after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in another state's case that could revive 
interest in pot for medicinal purposes.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined the Bush administration's request to 
consider whether the federal government can punish doctors for recommending 
the active drug in marijuana to sick patients, according to an Associated 
Press article.

Alabama is not one of the nine states that have a medical marijuana law, 
but it does have a therapeutic marijuana research law that allows certain 
qualified physicians who are approved by a review board to prescribe pills 
containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

State Sen. Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery, executive director of the Alabama 
State Board of Medical Examiners, said the therapeutic marijuana research 
law is old, and the prescription apparatus is non-existent.

"To the best of my knowledge I don't think we need to do anything at all 
unless the [review] board needs to be revived," Dixon said Thursday. "It's 
defunct."

Richard Whitaker, a spokesman for the Alabama Medical Association, said the 
therapeutic marijuana law was passed at least 20 years ago, when the active 
ingredient in marijuana was used to mitigate side effects of cancer treatment.

A review board was established, and only approved physicians could 
prescribe the drug secured in pill form from U.S. government-approved 
marijuana in Mississippi, Dixon said.

Officials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of 
South Alabama say they do not believe any of their researchers are studying 
the drug.

Dixon said other drugs have since been developed to combat the side effects 
of cancer treatment. Medical marijuana also is being used to treat HIV and 
other serious illnesses.

Attorney General Bill Pryor, speaking through a spokesperson, reacted to 
the Supreme Court decision: "I do not support it because it clearly is 
illegal under federal law."

The government argued that marijuana is a medical issue subject to its 
control. A ruling in favor of the government's position would have made 
Alabama's defunct law illegal.

The American Civil Liberties Union, representing doctors, patients and 
others, said the issue was their right to free speech against the government.

Pryor's office did not immediately comment on whether the Supreme Court's 
action would revive the state law or even pave the way for legalizing pot 
smoking for medical purposes.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman