Medicinal Marijuana Bill

An Alabama legislator wants to decriminalize the possession of medicinal marijuana oil in a bid to help families dealing with serious epilepsy and other medical conditions.  The House Judiciary Committee heard public testimony last week on a bill put forward by State Rep. Mike Ball which would allow legal access to cannabidiol, or CBD oil.  The legislation is a follow-up to a 2014 law which established a CBD oil study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  The 2014 bill intended to allow wide access to the study, but federal regulations led to restrictive qualifications in the study.  Opponents of the legislation in the medical community say they can't recommend non-FDA approved medications.  Dr. Shannon Murphy, an opponent, says she hopes a pharmacy-grade CBD drug will be on the market by 2017.