MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Four hemp companies are suing Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall over a new state law.
The lawsuit, filed June 26, challenges House Bill 445, which Gov. Ivey signed into law. The law sets new rules for hemp products in Alabama, including a ban on smokable hemp and certain synthetic cannabinoids.
The four companies behind the lawsuit are Mellow Fellow Fun, a Delaware-based business that ships hemp products nationwide, and three Alabama-based companies: Tasty Haze, The Humble Hemp Shack, and Seedless Green.
Under HB445, the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will oversee licenses for anyone making, selling or distributing hemp products. That licensing system takes effect in 2026. However, the product bans are set to begin July 1 and come with harsh penalties. Anyone found selling or possessing banned products could face a Class C felony, which carries up to 10 years in prison.
The companies say they will be harmed immediately by the product bans, which apply to smokable hemp and any products that include psychoactive cannabinoids created by chemical changes. They also say the law’s wording is unclear, making it hard to tell which products are actually banned.
The companies are asking a federal court to block enforcement of the law before July 1. Their lawsuit includes claims that HB445 violates the U.S. Constitution and the 2018 Farm Bill, and that the state law is too vague to be enforced legally.
