It is guardrails for an unregulated, unlicensed and predatory product that preys on the youth of Alabama.
By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican governor of Alabama, signed into law a controversial hemp bill that aims to regulate consumable products.
HB 445 was sponsored by Rep. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest). The hemp industry, which claimed that the bill overregulated federally-legal products, as well as the Alabama Policy Institute – a conservative think-tank – argued against it.
Gina Maiola is a spokesperson for Ivey. In a message sent by text on Wednesday she confirmed the Governor had signed this bill. However, Maiola did not offer any additional comments.
Whitt stated that after Governor Whitt’s signature, it was an “easy bill” to sponsor for him but “a difficult bill to pass.”
He said that it was “hard because I shot from both sides” and that it was “difficult to listen to “stretches of the truth”, such as API’s claims that recreational marijuana would be legalized or the industry’s claim that the ban is “complete”.
Whitt stated that the bill “puts guardrails” on a product unregulated in Alabama, which preys on children.
Molly Cole a lobbyist from the Alabama Hemp and Vape Association was contacted for comment. Molly Cole indicated that they were considering litigation.
This legislation requires testing, labeling and caps of 10 milligrams for each individually packaged product and 40 mg per package. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) will be required to issue licenses for retailers, limit retail establishments that sell hemp products and charge an excise duty on these consumable products.
This bill prohibits the sale of products to minors. This bill bans hemp products that can be smoked and restricts sales online.
Whitt said that his goal is to reduce the access of youths to these products. He also stated that this industry had operated unchecked for a long time.
Reps from the hemp industry have said that this bill’s vague language will lead to litigation.
Legislators, businessmen, patients, and lobbyists all expressed their uncertainty regarding the new legislation. Whitt stated that the bill bans all hemp-derived products including vapor, however this is not defined clearly in the legislation.
There’s no way to know if CBD will be banned by the bill, as it is not psychoactive. CBD can also be found in hemp. The bill bans certain psychoactive cannabis compounds and smokables hemp products. It defines “consumables hemp products” to include any final product for humans or animals that includes any hemp part or derivative.
In the bill “any smokeable cannabis product”, not only “plant material or raw hemp that is sold to consumers in hemp cigarettes or hemp cigars or hemp joints or as hemp buds or hemp flowers and leaves, or other variations of these terms, includes any products that contain a psychoactive cannabinoid.”
Whitt noted that hemp-based products approved by Alabama can “help Alabamans again”.
The original publication of this story is Alabama Reflector.
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