BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- When Dustin Chandler woke up at 6:30 this morning with plans to head to Montgomery for the anticipated Alabama House vote on Carly's Law, his wife, Amy, had an announcement.

"My wife said, 'What happened?' What do you mean, what happened? She said, 'Well, Carly's Law passed at 2 o'clock this morning,'" Chandler said in an interview this morning.

Indeed, the Alabama House took action around 2:10 a.m. and with a 97-0 vote, representatives passed the bill named after the Chandlers' daughter that authorizes a study of marijuana-derived medication called cannabidiol, or CBD, to treat epilepsy and seizures under a study through the University of Alabama at Birmingham.



"I was shocked waking up this morning and hearing it passed at 2:10 a.m.," said Dustin Chandler, a Pelham police officer who has been actively lobbying lawmakers to approve the bill.

"I'm also shocked that this is the children's and people of Alabama's voice that was so collectively loud and consistent, and we were heard and it shows the politicians actually listened. We brought the Alabama Legislature together, which is almost unheard of," Chandler said.

The bill is named for the Chandlers' 3-year-old daughter, Carly, who has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease that causes her frequent, violent seizures.

The bill would authorize the limited use of CBD oil under a UAB study that proponents are hoping to use from a specialized marijuana plant grown in Colorado that has demonstrated relief in children suffering from seizures and epilepsy where prescription medications have failed.

Throughout Alabama, parents want the same opportunities available in Colorado to find relief for their children. The outpouring of support included a March 1 rally in Pelham that saw hundreds of people calling for passage of the legislation.

Although the medication comes from marijuana and contains a small amount of the active ingredient in the drug, the oil given to children is not able to produce the plant's intoxicating effects in its users.

The effect seen in some children and others taking the medication is a drastic reduction in or nearly eliminating the number of violent seizures while providing a vastly improved quality of life for them and their families.

The Senate on March 11 approved the bill 34-0 vote. State Sen. Cam Ward of Alabaster said he expects the Senate to concur with the House's vote. The Senate vote could happen today.

Gov. Robert Bentley previously said he plans to sign the bill after its passage in the Legislature.

The bill includes a $1 million study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to examine the effectiveness of the marijuana-derived medication to treat seizure disorders.

Chandler said he spoke with state Rep. Allen Farley of McCalla, a strong proponent of Carly's Law, this morning. "When they got to Carly's Law and the speaker introduced it, Allen Farley said he was ready to debate it or answer questions," Chandler said.

"They started chanting vote, vote, vote," he said Farley told him. "He didn't even get one question from the floor."

The House approval "is a tribute to the kids and the families behind this and the people of Alabama that we brought the Legislature together for once," Chandler added. "It's good for the people of Alabama and the children of Alabama that need help."

Chandler said he's still traveling to Montgomery today in anticipation of the Senate's vote, which is needed due to some language amendments in the House-approved bill. "The first time I walked down there, they said you hardly ever pass a bill the first year. It's shocking to me," he said.

"The sun goes down and you're thinking one thing one day and it rises the next and you're on a totally different avenue," Chandler said. "God is good. It's funny how this stuff works. It's amazing to me."

Reporter's note: At 10:30 a.m. on March 20, 2014, added language to clarify the legislation authorizes a study to use CBD oil through UAB, which would prescribe the medication.