If the federal government moves forward with a plan to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, some worry that it will cause further confusion about what’s legal and not legal in states like Alabama.
While nearly half of states now allow recreational marijuana, Alabama is not one of them. And while Alabama legalized medical marijuana in 2021, efforts to get the program up and running have been bogged down in court.
“We’ve introduced a lot of confusion into what the law is at this point,” said Leah Nelson, research director at Alabama Appleseed. “And I actually think in some ways… it’s possible that’s going to result in even more confusion. For reasons of fairness and clarity, it’s really important for Alabama to take a hard look at what purpose it serves to make possession of marijuana a felony.”
The federal policy change would not change state law, said Tim Douthit, chief trial attorney at the Madison County District Attorney’s office.
“It’ll still be illegal at the same levels it always was in Alabama under state law,” Douthit told AL.com