HB550 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Patricia Todd

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Cannabis, legalizing for personal use

Summary

HB550 would legalize adult possession and limited cultivation of cannabis, create a regulated market for cannabis and cannabis products, and establish a medical cannabis program for qualifying patients in Alabama.

What This Bill Does

It allows adults 21+ to possess up to one ounce and grow up to 12 plants in a secure, enclosed space, with sales limited to regulated retail stores and a state tax to fund law enforcement. It creates a comprehensive regulatory framework with licensing administered by the Department of Revenue, input from local governments, and separate rules for industrial hemp. It authorizes medical cannabis for patients with serious medical conditions, including physician-certified evaluations, patient and designated caregiver roles, and three classes of medical use with specified monthly limits and grow licenses. It includes privacy protections for identification data, testing requirements for products, and employment protections for qualified patients and caregivers.

Who It Affects

• Adults aged 21 and older in Alabama, who would be allowed to possess up to 1 ounce and cultivate up to 12 cannabis plants in a secure, enclosed space; sales would be limited to licensed, regulated stores.
• Qualified patients with serious medical conditions and their designated caregivers, who may obtain medical cannabis identification cards and purchase cannabis under physician-approved class limits and grow licenses; may operate through nonprofit collectives or cooperatives.
• Cannabis businesses and service providers (retail cannabis stores, cultivators, product manufacturers, testing laboratories, suppliers) and local governments, which would be licensed, regulated, taxed, and subject to local rules.
• Law enforcement and municipal/county police, which would receive funding from cannabis taxes and enforce regulations and penalties for noncompliance.
• Employers and workers, who would be affected by anti-discrimination protections for qualified patients and caregivers, with safety-sensitive position exceptions.

Key Provisions

• Legalizes possession (up to 1 ounce) and limited home cultivation (up to 12 plants in a secured space) for adults 21+, with sale limited to regulated retail stores and a state tax to fund law enforcement.
• Establishes a medical cannabis program with identification cards issued by county health departments; physician-diagnosed serious medical conditions; three classes of medical cannabis use with specified monthly purchase limits and grow licenses for patients/caregivers.
• Creates a licensing framework: state licenses administered by the Department of Revenue; local municipalities/counties may license and regulate facilities; licenses valid for one year; timeframes for license issuance/denial; fees set and adjusted for inflation.
• Defines regulatory categories (retail stores, cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities) and requires compliance with labeling, security, health/safety standards, and testing of cannabis products.
• Imposes taxes on cannabis sales (state and additional county/municipal taxes) with revenue distributed to law enforcement to combat illegal trafficking of Schedule I/II substances; includes a separate framework for industrial hemp regulation by 2014.
• Provides employment protections for qualified patients and caregivers (with safety-sensitive exceptions), privacy protections for identification data, and civil remedies for discrimination related to medical cannabis use.
• Mandates testing of cannabis from unknown sources by medical cannabis laboratories; allows local ordinances/regulations to govern medical cannabis products, delivery, labeling, and testing; authorizes testing and labeling oversight by appropriate state agencies.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Cannabis