The Next Step After Physician Qualification

-Apply to the State Patient Registry

After being qualified by a physician, the next step is for the patient to apply for registration with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) once the patient registry is fully implemented and open for public use.

How the Process Works (Plain Language)

 -Physician Qualification (First Step – Already Available)

• A qualified physician evaluates the patient.

• If approved, the physician issues documentation confirming eligibility.

• This is NOT a prescription — cannabis cannot be prescribed under federal law.

Physician qualification prepares the patient for registration but does not provide legal access on its own.

 - Patient Applies to the AMCC Registry (Next Required Step)

• Using the physician’s documentation, the patient applies to be entered into the state patient registry.

• This process is handled only by the AMCC.

• Physicians and advocacy organizations do not register patients.

 Approval & Registry Identification

• Once approved by the AMCC, the patient becomes officially registered.

• Registration is what legally authorizes participation in Alabama’s medical cannabis program.

 Access to Licensed Dispensaries (When Operational)

• Only registered patients may purchase medical cannabis.

• Purchases may only be made at state-licensed dispensaries, once operational.

• Cannabis will not be available until it has been grown, processed, tested, and stocked at licensed dispensaries.

• Grower, processor, and dispensary licenses have already been awarded, but products are not yet on shelves.

 Important Clarifications

- Qualification ≠ Registration

• Being qualified by a physician alone does not grant legal access.

• AMCC registration is mandatory.

- No Registry + No Dispensaries = No Purchases

• Until the registry is active and dispensaries are open, patients cannot legally obtain medical cannabis in Alabama.

- Advocacy Groups Are NOT the Clearinghouse

• Questions about timelines, registry status, rules, or access must be directed to the AMCC.

• Advocacy organizations and physicians do not control implementation.

 Bottom Line

Physician qualification gets you ready.
AMCC registration makes you legal.
Licensed dispensaries provide access — once operational.

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Certified Physicians (As of January 17, 2026)

As of this date, five physicians have been certified by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners to qualify patients under SB46 (2021).
(More physicians will be certified as the program continues to roll out. This is only the beginning.)

1. Roger Stanford Buck, MD
   307 E. Meighan Blvd., Gadsden, AL
   256-543-2273

2. Luke Burkett Fondren, DO
   7856 Westside Park, Suite 1, Mobile, AL
   251-308-4990

3. John Harris Irons, MD
   2868 Action Road, Vestavia Hills, AL
   205-332-3160

4. Valerie Catherine Staples, DO
   205 W Orange Ave, Foley, AL 36535
   251-424-4244

5. Clinton Scott Williams, MD
   420 Lowell Drive, Suite 107, Huntsville, AL
   256-535-5997

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Allowed Medical Cannabis Products in Alabama

Registered patients may use the following non-combustible forms:

• Tablets

• Capsules

• Tinctures (liquid extracts)

• Gels, oils, and creams (topical use)

• Suppositories

• Transdermal patches

• Nebulizers

• Liquids or oils for use in an inhaler

These forms align with Alabama’s strict, non-smoking regulatory framework.

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 Products NOT Allowed

The following are prohibited under Alabama law:

• Raw plant material (cannabis flower)

• Products that can be smoked or vaped

• Food products (cookies, candies, or traditional edibles)

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Insurance Coverage

Does insurance cover medical cannabis?
No.

• Health insurers are not required to cover medical cannabis.

• Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level:

  • Private insurance

  • Medicare

  • Medicaid
    do not provide coverage

Patients should expect out-of-pocket costs for:

• Physician qualification visits

• Registry fees

• Medical cannabis products

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Dispensary Locations

• Not available at this time

• Locations will be announced by the AMCC once dispensaries are approved and operational.

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Qualifying Medical Conditions

Alabama law includes, but is not limited to:

• Autism

• Cancer-related weight loss or chronic pain

• Crohn’s disease

• Depression

• Epilepsy or seizure disorders

• HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss

• Panic disorder

• Parkinson’s disease

• Persistent nausea (not pregnancy-related)

• PTSD

• Sickle cell disease

• Spasticity associated with ALS, MS, or spinal cord injury

• Terminal illness

• Tourette’s syndrome

• Chronic pain where conventional therapies or opioids are ineffective or inappropriate

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Age Requirements

• Patients 19 or older with a qualifying condition may register.

• Minors may participate through a registered caregiver (parent or legal guardian).

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Legal Restrictions

Yes — it is illegal to:

• Possess, distribute, manufacture, or use medical cannabis outside what the law allows

• Divert cannabis from:

  • A registered patient or caregiver

  • A licensed cultivator, processor, transporter, dispensary, or testing laboratory

Violations remain subject to criminal penalties.