Supporters of the hemp industry gathered outside the Alabama State House for several hours to protest bills aimed at the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of hemp products in Alabama.
“The people in the State of Alabama, for the past four years, have been promised that they would have access to legal medical cannabis in the state. Because they do not have access to medical cannabis in the state, they have turned to hemp-derived products. The citizens of the State of Alabama who are sick, suffering, and dying need access to hemp,” said H Marty Schelper, Founder of the Alabama Cannabis Coalition.
The Coalition was present at the State House, along with the Alabama Hemp and Vape Association.
“They are an industry that is under attack here in the State of Alabama by all of the legislation that is being passed around,” Schelper said.
The 2018 federal Farm Bill legalized hemp.
The dominating bill at the State House, House Bill 445, awaits a vote by the Senate. The Alabama House of Representatives approved the bill, as well as a Senate committee.
The bill puts the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board in charge of licensing for hemp THC or CBD manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retailers.
The sale of products to people under 21 years old is prohibited, which is in line with current law.
The legislation restricts retail businesses that can sell consumable hemp products to existing liquor stores, standalone locations that sell only consumable hemp products, and other locations that minors cannot get into.
The legislation also:
lays out penalties for selling products to a minorestablishes labeling and testing requirements for productsprohibits the sale of any inhalable hemp productslimits the amount of THC that can be in consumable hemp products to 5 milligrams of total THC or 0.3 % total THC on a dry-weight basisimposes an excise tax of 7% on manufacturers and wholesalers for the gross sales of hemp products sold to retailerscreates the Consumable Hemp Product Compliance Fund to provide for the Board’s administration and enforcement costsprovides civil and criminal penalties for violationsauthorizes the Board to seize unlawful hemp productsrepeals the state law allowing the sale of psychoactive cannabinoids to adults
HB445 also prevents the sale of products for on-premises consumption.
When the Alabama House approved the bill, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, said unregulated hemp products are negatively impacting Alabamians, especially children.
“It affects every neighborhood across the state. These are unregulated, unchecked, and dangerous products that are being sold to our children in convenience stores and retailers across the state. It is time we put guardrails on this to protect our students that are in high school,” Whitt said on April 10.
Schelper feared elements of other hemp-related bills would be added to HB445.
“We are also here to support the rights of the citizens of Alabama who want the right to choose recreational or adult-use cannabis,” Schelper said. “We have many members that are here with us today just to show the people that are inside the Alabama State House that we do exist. We do vote.”
There are four days remaining for lawmakers to vote on legislation in their respective chambers.
Advocates of the hemp industry gathered outside the Alabama State House for several hours to protest several bills aimed at hemp consumption in Alabama.The dom Read More
