Gov. Kay Ivey signed a new bill on May 14 regulating consumable hemp products, which received pushback from a wide group of businesses, political groups and community leaders.
The bill, HB445, which places the regulation of consumable hemp products, and includes both THC and CBD products, under the jurisdiction of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, received significant pushback from businesses in the hemp industry.
Following the new law coming into effect, all hemp derived consumables will be restricted to stores that only admit those aged 21 or older, or, in the case of hemp beverages, specific spaces within grocery stores. Distributors will also need to obtain new licenses for the sale of hemp products. Additional taxes will also be placed on all hemp products.
HB445 also specifically prohibits online sale of hemp products to residents in Alabama, as well as prohibiting all smokable hemp products.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, said that the goal of the bill is to reduce youth access to hemp products. According to Whitt, the hemp industry has been operating unchecked in the state.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke out against the bill, and called for Ivey to veto it. Woodfin argued that the bill would hurt local business and create unnecessary criminal punishments.
Woodfin has spoken out before about his belief that marijuana should be legalized and has taken steps to reduce the impact of marijuana misdemeanors by pardoning over 15,000 residents for possession.
“HB445 threatens that progress,” said Woodfin in a Facebook post. “By limiting access to legal hemp products, burdening small businesses with excessive restrictions, and imposing punitive taxes, this bill doesn’t just regulate — it criminalizes.”
In addition to the concerns raised by Woodfin, some consumers of hemp products have spoken out, arguing that hemp products help them manage issues with anxiety or pain from chronic conditions.
The Alabama Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, also spoke out against the bill, though for different reasons.
API views the HB445 as a pathway to increasing access to hemp products by codifying them more strictly into law, and argued that the bill would effectively legalize marijuana.
“API stands opposed (to) the state condoning and taxing the illegal drug use of its citizens,” API said in a statement.
Whitt described his bill as a compromise, and argued that it neither banned hemp products or legalized recreational marijuana.
The new law is set to come into effect on July 1, though the provisions regarding ABC licensure are set to come into effect on Jan. 1, which has created some confusion.
Alabama top stories in brief
First group of Afrikaners begin resettlement in Alabama
- The first group of Afrikaners have begun the process of building new lives in Alabama following an executive order by President Donald Trump granting them refugee status and allowing them to immigrate to the U.S.
- Afrikaners are white South Africans descended from Europeans who first colonized the country and enforced apartheid; they are an ethnic minority, though they still control the majority of the wealth in South Africa.
- Some Afrikaners have expressed that they feel they are being discriminated against, and Trump has said that they are facing a genocide. South Africa has a high rate of violent crime, though these crimes have impacted both Black and white citizens, many of whom are farmers. Out of those impacted, 2% of the victims are reported to be white.
- Currently, all other refugee resettlement in Alabama has been paused indefinitely due to executive actions taken by Trump.
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Resort celebrates Orange Beach groundbreaking
- The first Margaritaville Resort is coming to Alabama in Orange Beach at The Wharf, a popular family tourist destination. The resort is expected to produce major economic growth to the area.
- The 83-acre resort’s first phase of building is projected to be completed by 2027, and the full project is set for completion in 2029. The plans include luxury waterfront condominiums and other accommodations of various sizes, with several recreation, event and dining spaces.
- The president of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, Lee Lawon, reported that development will create approximately 350 new jobs for the area.
Report shows Alabama still has 175 Confederate monuments standing
- The Southern Poverty Law Center released a 4-part report titled “Whose Heritage” which investigated the over 2,100 Confederate memorials within the U.S., and found that the removal of monuments has slowed since 2020.
- In 2017, the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act was passed by Alabama Legislature, which prohibits the “removal, alteration, renaming, or any other disturbance” of any monument or building on public property, which includes schools, courthouses, roads and any other public building or space.
- Eighteen monuments have been renamed or removed since 2018 in Alabama, but there are several ongoing efforts for others to be renamed, such as one by 17-year-old Jeremiah Treece, who is petitioning for the Montgomery official city flag to remove Confederate imagery.
- Another petition detailed in the SPLC report has been ongoing since 2020 in Florence, as local lawmakers reject citizens’ attempts to remove or add a plaque establishing context to a Confederate memorial in front of the county courthouse. Both cases have had no developments forward as of the time of writing.
Birmingham loses federal biotech grant
- A grant for $44 million to the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub has been canceled by the Trump administration, though the applicants will have the chance to recompete for the award under new guidelines.
- The decision was condemned by Rep. Terri Sewell, D-AL, who represents much of the Birmingham area and along with Sen. Katie Britt, R-AL, Gov. Kay Ivey and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, who advocated for the grant during the previous administration.
- The Birmingham Technology Hub, led by Southern Research Institute is a consortium of organizations with the goal to “shorten the drug development pipeline and deliver affordable drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics.”
Alabama Office of Information Technology investigates data breach
- A serious data breach in systems across Alabama was discovered by the Alabama Office of Information Technology on May 9.
- The OIT reported that while some passwords and logins of state employees had been compromised, they currently do not believe that any personal identifiable information was stolen.
Our articles you might have missed
- With summer right around the corner, you might be looking for new places to visit with family. Check out our latest article by Josie Jones, which covers Butch Anthony’s Museum of Wonder. Located in Seale, the museum promotes itself as “the world’s first drive through museum.”
Announcements
- We’ve officially launched the Alabama Spotlight, our new multimedia project focusing on people, places and things unique to Alabama. You can listen to the first episode about our trip to Spectre, an abandoned movie set from the film “Big Fish” on Spotify.
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