Marijuana
Q&A: A former New Orleans police chief says it’s time the U.S. changes its marijuana policy
Ronal Serpas is one of 32 law enforcement leaders who signed a letter sent to President Biden in support of moving marijuana to a Schedule III drug.
Alabama wants to speed up medical marijuana growing. Will it be helpful or cause more problems?
With medical marijuana now legal in Alabama, some farmers are eager to get plants in the ground, but licenses to grow marijuana won’t be available until September 2022. The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission wants to move up licensing so farmers can plant seeds earlier.
Five Things You Need To Know About Alabama’s New Medical Marijuana Law
Alabama's new medical marijuana law is more than 100-pages long. We did the hard work and pulled out the highlights that may impact you.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Lighter Marijuana Penalties, Transgender Youth Therapies, Confederate Monuments
The week's highlights: A bill to ban therapies for transgender minors passed in the Alabama Senate. Lawmakers rejected a measure that would have given cities and towns more flexibility to move unwanted Confederate monuments elsewhere.
More Alabama Farmers Sign up to Grow Hemp
Last year marked the first time in decades that hemp could be grown legally in Alabama. More than 100 farmers got licensed by the state to grow it.
Birmingham Initiative Pardons Low-Level Marijuana Convictions
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin launched a new initiative to pardon thousands of people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions, a move meant to ease a significant barrier to employment.
#DougMeetsMiles: Jones Takes Questions Via Twitter at Forum With College Students
Sen. Doug Jones told an audience of students from Miles College that when he went to Washington, D.C. he didn’t realize that he was going to be a part of a government that functioned according to what someone says on Twitter — an oblique reference to President Donald Trump’s penchant for tweets that make the nation’s capital go topsy-turvy.
Is CBD Oil Legal in Alabama? It’s Complicated.
People seeking an alternative to pain medications or anti-anxiety drugs are increasingly turning to CBD oil. Some athletes even claim it helps with post-workout recovery. Studies have shown it curbs severe epilepsy. Those array of claims have made it easier to find CBD products in Alabama. But there’s just one problem: CBD is derived from marijuana.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Marijuana Penalties, Religious Daycares, and Execution Methods
Alabama lawmakers debated a controversial measure this week that would ease the penalties for marijuana possession. And for prison inmates on death row, they debated an alternative execution method with nitrogen gas.
Carly’s Law Study: Patients On Marijuana Derivative Oil Report Progress
Last year, Alabama was the second state to legalize limited use of marijuana derivate, commonly known as CBD oil. Alabama’s Carly’s Law, is allowing doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to study and prescribe CBD oil to select patients. CBD oil has only traces or no THC --the active ingredient in marijuana known to produce a high-and is changing the debate surrounding the use of use of marijuana as medicine. UAB’s study officially started this spring.
Kyle Whitmire: Should Alabama Legalize Marijuana?
It's illegal to buy or sell marijuana in the state of Alabama, but some Alabamians and even lawmakers may be coming around to the idea of one day legalizing the use of the drug. We take a look at the polarizing debate over the legalization of marijuana with Kyle Whitmire, political commentator for AL.com and the Birmingham News.
INTERVIEW: Controversial Comedian Bill Maher
For his decades-long career, comedian and commentator Bill Maher has skewered cherished customs and beliefs. Whether on his HBO show "Real Time with Bill Maher," in his film "Religulous," or doing stand-up, he doesn't shy away from controversy. Politics, drugs, faith -- nothing is sacred. He'll be performing in Birmingham this Sunday, but WBHM's Dan Carsen caught up with him first. It's a serious conversation, but it starts out on a light note and ranges far and wide from there.
