In a stunning display of potential privacy conflicts, Senator Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia) revealed a measure that would require women from ages 25 to 50 to furnish proof of a negative pregnancy test to a dispensary in order to be eligible to receive medical cannabis in Alabama. This test must be from either a doctor or a medical lab, and would have to be taken 48 hours before purchase. Yes, you read that correctly.
Senate Bill 324 is a piece of work generating a great amount of backlash within multiple communities. The Senate committee passed the bill in a 7-2 vote last week and has since been met with plenty of criticism.
Organizations across the country responded accordingly. One example is the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW), calling the bill “blatantly unconstitutional and unprecedented.”
Others had similar reactions to the bill. “We are very concerned that this is an invasion of the privacy of Alabama women and their right to equal protection under the law,” NAPW attorney Emma Roth told AL.com.
Beyond the negative pregnancy test, women of the “childbearing age” would have to also report to their physicians if they become pregnant. Furthermore, new moms who are in the stages of breastfeeding would also be banned from purchasing medical cannabis.
How these bans are enforced—with inevitable consequences—is not discussed in the bill.
Medical cannabis is a new topic in the state of Alabama—with Governor Kay Ivey just signing the legislation in May 2021. There was a lot of pushback from lawmakers and, since the signing, a number of exceptions have been made.
For example, only oral cannabis products (i.e. tinctures, capsules, etc.) are