SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (WAFF) – Legislation reached Governor Ivey’s desk that will drastically change the hemp-related products consumers see in stores.
It will rigorously restrict hemp products, the manufacturers that make them, and the stores that sell them.
House Bill 445, backed by state representative Andy Whitt (R-Harvest), is set to drastically change hemp products sold in our state.
Whitt said this legislation will ban inhalable hemp products such as vapes and flowers, restrict where the remaining products are sold, and limit the amount of THC in some products to five milligrams.
Whitt said many of these products have been marketed toward children, which is why he pushed for this to become law.
“How many kids are flipping it over to the back and seeing one-sixteenth is a serving? They’re not, and that’s what is sending our kids to the ER and putting them in ICUs. No longer will these products be sold in the state of Alabama,” said Whitt.
Meghan Hardesty with the Alabama Hemp and Vape Association said this will negatively impact everyone from manufacturers to retailers.
“For us, trying to sell edibles that A, makes a ten milligram gummy, B, only puts that in a four-piece or less pack, but then we just threw the can down the road and watched a truck run it over when they said individually wrapped,” said Hardesty.
She also said lawmakers need to be clearer on these restrictions to avoid confusion between manufacturers and retailers.
”What we’re worried about today not only are the products we’re going to be able to offer January 1st, but also the legalities behind this. There are so many vague areas in this bill that are not clearly defined, so we’re worried we’re going to turn some of us into criminals,” said Hardesty.
WAFF 48’s Savannah Sapp spoke to a Grant resident named Meghan, who said she uses hemp products for her lupus. She feels this legislation will make it more difficult to get the relief she needs.
“It helps my body so much. It calms things down. It feels like Alabama doesn’t care about us, it feels like they’d rather us move somewhere else and make it somebody else’s problem,” Megan said.
If Governor Ivey signs this into law, these restrictions are set to take effect January 1st.
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Legislation reached Governor Ivey’s desk that will drastically change the hemp-related products consumers see in stores. Read More
