STATE MAY LOOK AT DEFUNCT LAW ON MARIJUANA

MONTGOMERY - Alabama faces a decision on a defunct medical marijuana
law after a Supreme Court ruling in another state's case that could
serve to revive interest in pot for medicinal purposes.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined the Bush administration's
request to consider whether the federal government can punish doctors
for recommending the active drug in marijuana to sick patients,
according to the Associated Press.

Alabama is among the nine states with a medical marijuana law, but it
does have a therapeutic marijuana research law that allows certain
qualified physicians to prescribe pills containing the active
ingredient in marijuana.

State Sen. Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery, executive director of the
Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners, said the therapeutic
marijuana research law is old and the prescription apparatus is
nonexistent.

"To the best of my knowledge, I don't think we need to do anything at
all unless the board needs to be revived,'' Dixon said. "It's defunct.''

Richard Whitaker, a spokesman for the state Medical Association, said
the therapeutic marijuana law was passed at least 20 years ago when
the active ingredient in marijuana was used to mitigate side effects
of cancer treatment.

A review board was established and only approved physicians could
prescribe the drug secured in pill form from U.S. government-approved
marijuana from Mississippi, Dixon said.

Officials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the
University of South Alabama say they don't believe any of their
researchers are studying the drug.

Dixon said other drugs have since been developed to combat the side
effects of cancer treatment. Medical marijuana also is being used to
treat HIV or other serious illnesses.

Attorney General Bill Pryor, through a spokesman, reacted to the
Supreme Court decision.

"I do not support it because it is clearly illegal under federal
law,'' Pryor said.

The government argued that marijuana is a medical issue subject to its
control. A ruling in favor of the government's position would have
made Alabama's defunct law illegal.

The American Civil Liberties Union representing doctors, patients and
others said the issue was their free speech rights against the government.

Pryor's office didn't immediately comment whether the Supreme Court's
action would revive the law or even pave the way for legalizing
smoking pot for medical purposes.