Potless and Pregnant in Alabama

"Alabama State Sen. Larry Stutts (R) introduced a bill this week that would require women “of childbearing age” to present proof that they’re not pregnant in order to purchase medical cannabis products," according to a story published in The Fresh Toast "Alabama Senator: Women Need To Prove They’re Not Pregnant To Buy Medical Marijuana"

If passed, the bill would amend Alabama’s 2021 medical marijuana law by requiring dispensaries to ask women between the ages of 25 and 50 to provide “a negative pregnancy test either from her physician or documentation from a certified medical lab that has been ordered by a physician licensed in Alabama.”

Over at Marijuana Moment, who also covered the story, "Alabama Bill Would Force Women Who Want Medical Marijuana To Show Negative Pregnancy Tests": “The documentation must be dated within 48 hours of purchase before she may purchase any medical cannabis except in the capacity as a registered caregiver,” it says, adding that breastfeeding women would also be barred from purchasing medical cannabis products."

"In addition, the bill stipulates that no dispensaries could be located within 1,000 feet of a daycare center or two-year or four-year “institution of higher education.”

Emma Roth, a staff attorney at National Advocates For Pregnant Women (NAPW), told Marijuana Moment that the bill “would violate women’s right to privacy and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment.”

“It’s another attempt to police pregnancy in the name of the fetus when medical marijuana poses no greater harm than other common exposures during pregnancy,” Roth said. “And where would the state’s reach end? Would a negative pregnancy test be required to be around smokers, to drink coffee or to work a factory job?”

Image source: Photo by Ömürden Cengiz via Unsplash