In Montgomery, Alabama, a bill aimed at enforcing strict regulations on consumable hemp products, including delta-8 and other psychoactive cannabinoids, has successfully passed out of the Senate Committee on Tourism. The bill, sponsored by Senator Rodger Smitherman, a Democrat from Birmingham, is designed to ensure that these products are only sold at dedicated establishments, require rigorous testing, and impose a 6% sales tax. Smitherman is also working with two other lawmakers who are proposing similar legislation to reach a compromise.
Senator Randy Price, a Republican from Opelika and the chair of the committee, highlighted the widespread concerns over psychoactive cannabinoid products, stating that many legislators are worried about the implications of unregulated sales. Since the legalization of hemp products under the 2018 Farm Bill, the psychoactive cannabinoid market has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry, which is now prompting regulatory action.
During a recent discussion on related legislation, House Bill 445, proposed by Representative Andy Whitt, a Republican from Harvest, was presented to the House Health Committee. The meeting attracted significant public interest, with ten speakers expressing their views on the bill. Whitt emphasized that his proposal aims to create guardrails around a currently unchecked industry, referring to psychoactive cannabinoid products as part of a “wild west” scenario.
Whitt also shared alarming statistics from the Alabama Poison Information Center, noting that there have been 1,423 exposure calls since 2022, with 470 calls in the previous year alone. He indicated that over 40% of these calls involved children under the age of six who had overdosed on these products. To illustrate the danger, he displayed various psychoactive products purchased from local gas stations, expressing concern about their accessibility to minors.
While some speakers supported Whitt’s legislation, others opposed it, arguing that it could jeopardize approximately 10,000 jobs and unfairly penalize responsible adult users of psychoactive cannabinoids. Carmelo Parasilti, CEO and founder of Green Acres Organic Pharms in Florence, stated that while selling to minors should be strictly punished, adults should not face adverse consequences for using these products legally and responsibly.
Overall, the momentum for regulating psychoactive cannabinoids in Alabama continues to grow, as lawmakers seek to balance consumer safety with economic impacts.
