Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told legislators this week in a letter that he opposes a proposal to legalize and regulate marijuana products for medical use in Alabama.

Marshall outlined his concerns and cited sources for studies and research that he said support those concerns.

The attorney general noted his work on Alabama’s ongoing crisis of opioid addiction and overdoses and said there’s no evidence that medical marijuana could help that problem and could actually compound it.

“While I do not question the motives or intentions of any member of the Legislature who does support legislation, the many unanswered questions and potential ramifications are undeniable,” Marshall wrote. “My fear is that while we fight in court for funding to remediate the opioid crisis, we will exacerbate that problem while creating a new one.”

You can read the letter at the end of this story.

Marshall’s letter came in response to the report of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Study Commission, which voted last month to recommend a proposed bill for the legislative session that starts Feb. 4. The bill would regulate how patients with certain conditions could use medical marijuana products under a doctor’s supervision. It would regulate how the products are cultivated, processed, tested, transported, packaged, advertised, sold, and taxed. Alabama would be the 34th state to legalize medical cannabis, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, who chaired the study commission and will sponsor the legislation, said he did not expect Marshall to support the bill considering that Marshall is the state’s chief law enforcement officer. Melson said Marshall called him this week to let him know he was sending the letter. But he said he was disappointed that Marshall declined to be involved in the study commission’s work. The commission met four times and held three public hearings last year.

“I reached out to him numerous times to talk about it and never heard back,” Melson said. "I invited him to the meetings or to meet with me to discuss any headaches. I wanted to minimize the headaches on the AG just like I would on the DAs and law enforcement."

Melson said he had been very busy and had not read Marshall’s letter, but had heard enough about it to get the gist of it. One of the first points Marshall raises in the letter is that legalizing medical marijuana would conflict with federal law.

“He’s worried about it conflicting federal law. But it didn’t seem to bother him we passed an abortion bill last year that conflicted with federal law. We haven’t gotten a letter about that one,” Melson said.

Alabama lawmakers last year passed a ban on abortion at any stage of pregnancy except to protect serious health risks to the woman, a move intended to spark a challenge to the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision. A federal judge has blocked the law and Marshall’s office is defending it.

Melson, an anesthesiologist and medical researcher, said he respected Marshall and believes he is doing a good job as attorney general.

“I just disagree with him on this one,” Melson said.

In his letter, Marshall cited six main concerns about medical marijuana:

Marijuana is an addictive drug

Evidence does not show that it will help reduce opioid dependency

It is disproportionately used for chronic pain in states where it is legal, which results in long-term use with potential negative effects

Its benefits have been overstated while the risks have been downplayed

Alabama is not prepared to effectively regulate it

It can cause problems by interacting with prescription drugs

Marshall has served as co-chair of the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. Alabama has one of the nation’s highest rates of opioid use. According to Blue Cross and Blue Shield, its members in Alabama are twice as likely as the national average to be on a long-term opioid regimen, Marshall wrote.

“This is relevant to the marijuana debate, given the foreboding similarities between the origins of the opioid crisis and today’s aggressive campaign to legalize marijuana for medical use,” Marshall wrote. “Furthermore, experts have warned against the hazardous outcomes of mixing opioids with marijuana -- something that a state with our rate of opioid prescriptions simply cannot afford to ignore.”

Melson said he can cite studies that show medical marijuana products do reduce opioid dependence. He said he will continue to try to talk to those who have concerns about the bill and find common ground. For example, he said he believes business associations are satisfied with protections written into the bill for employers.

“I honestly believe the benefits outweigh the risks, especially with this very tight, highly regulated bill," Melson said.