HB227 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

David Cole

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to medical cannabis; to amend Sections 20-2A-3, 20-2A-8, 20-2A-21, 20-2A-32, 20-2A-36, and 20-2A-64, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the conditions that are considered a qualifying medical condition; to further restrict individuals from having an economic interest in a licensee and to establish a time period for the prohibition; to further provide for the definition of a registered certifying physician and provide that a registered certifying physician may only certify a patient for medical cannabis use if he or she is board certified in the field of specialty required to diagnose a qualifying medical condition as provided by law; to prohibit a non-registered certifying physician from having a financial arrangement with a registered certifying physician for patient referrals; to provide that an individual cannot qualify as a registered caregiver if he or she is also a qualified registered patient; to further provide for location restrictions and dispensing protocols for a dispensary; to make it a crime for an individual to sell a medical cannabis card; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Section 111.05 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.

Summary

HB227 would expand qualifying medical cannabis conditions, strengthen conflict-of-interest rules for licensing and certification, and tighten dispensary and patient-card regulations in Alabama.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would add more conditions to qualify for medical cannabis, expand prohibitions on economic interests in licensees, and set time-based restrictions for those prohibitions. It would require registered certifying physicians to be board-certified in the specialty needed to diagnose the condition and ban non-registered physicians from arranging referrals for payment. It would also tighten dispensary requirements, impose dosage limits for patients and caregivers, and establish a formal patient registry and card system with stricter rules and penalties, including making it a crime to sell a medical cannabis card.

Who It Affects

• Commission members, commission employees, and their family members, as well as licensees and related personnel, who would face expanded conflict-of-interest rules, gift prohibitions, and post-employment restrictions.
• Registered qualified patients, registered caregivers, registered certifying physicians, and dispensaries, who would encounter board-certification certification requirements, tighter qualifications for caregivers/patients, dosage limits, registration and card processes, and stricter dispensing and tracking rules.

Key Provisions

• Expands the list of qualifying medical conditions for medical cannabis use.
• Extends prohibitions on economic interests to a broader group connected to licensees and establishes time-based prohibitions after service.
• Defines registered certifying physician and requires board certification in the specialty needed to diagnose a qualifying condition; bans non-registered physicians from referral fee arrangements.
• Prohibits a designated caregiver from being a registered caregiver if they are also a registered patient.
• Tightens dispensary rules including location restrictions, dispensing protocols, surveillance, testing, and seed-to-sale tracking.
• Limits to four dispensary licenses and allows up to three dispensing sites per licensee in different counties; may allow more sites if underserved areas are identified.
• Makes selling a medical cannabis card a crime and strengthens identification and card-tracking requirements.
• Establishes a patient registry and medical cannabis card system with a fee (not to exceed $65), 12-month card expiry, and Alabama-specific validity; requires driver license or state ID for card issuance.
• Sets daily dosage limits: no more than 60 daily dosages in a 60-day period, with renewal limited to 10 days before expiry; never more than 70 daily dosages in total at any time.
• Imposes penalties for violations by commission members or licensees related to conflicts of interest, gifts, or employment; includes provisions for termination and long-term post-service employment restrictions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.