A bill which would legalize marijuana for medical purposes in Alabama is coming back before the Legislature in 2010.

State Rep. Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham) in mid-February is introducing an as-yet unnumbered 13-page bill that outlines ways cannabis could be used for medical purposes in the state, according to spokesperson Loretta Nall of Alabamians for Compassionate Care.

The bill distinguishes between medical and non-medical uses of marijuana, according to Todd.

It lists debilitating medical conditions under which marijuana could be used. These include cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, chronic arthritis, cachexia, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraine, AIDS, anorexia, seizures, severe nausea and other symptoms that substantially limit the ability of a person to conduct major life activities.

Rep. Todd's bill will be referred to the House Judiciary Committee, Nall said.

"We don't expect our bill will pass this year because it is an election year," Nall said. "Legislators won't touch anything controversial in an election year."

"We do, however, plan to keep fighting our way through the process," Nall said. "We've had a bill in the Alabama Legislature since 2005 and every year we get a little closer to the goal of removing patients from the Drug War battlefield."

Nall invites those who are medical marijuana patients, or would like to get involved with Alabamians for Compassionate Care, to email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Medical marijuana bills have been introduced in the Alabama Legislature in the past, including in 2007 and 2008 by State Rep. Laura Hall (D-Huntsville). Those bills all failed to pass.