Bill would legalize marijuana derivative in Alabama

Sunday, January 5, 2014

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A bill planned for the upcoming session of the Alabama Legislature would legalize a substance derived from marijuana that is believed to help control seizures in children.

Republican Rep. Mike Ball of Madison told al.com that he plans to sponsor the bill to allow parents of children with certain neurological and epileptic disorders to possess cannabidiol. He says it doesn't produce a high and has no street value.

Democratic state Rep. Patricia Todd of Birmingham says she plans to co-sponsor the bill. She says the bill will be named Carly's Law for a young girl from Inverness who suffers from a rare genetic disorder. The girl's father, Pelham police officer Dustin Chandler, has been promoting the legalization to treat his daughter and other children who suffer from seizures.