Alabama House approves regulations on hemp products
The Alabama House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday to regulate hemp products consumed by the public amid concerns that minors will have access to the products.
HB 445, sponsored by Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, that authorizes the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to issue licenses and regulate the manufacturing, distribution and sale of consumables derived from hemp to individuals who are younger than 21 years old.
'This is one of the bills that I think you saw wide, bipartisan support,' Whitt said in an interview with the media after the vote. 'It affects every neighborhood across the state. These are unregulated, unchecked, and dangerous products that are being sold to our children in our convenience stores and retailers across the state, and it is time we put guardrails on this to protect our students in high school.'
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While the legislation provoked strong opinions from both supporters and proponents at two hearings in the Alabama House Health Committee, it passed the House with little debate.
Whitt's bill restricts the sale of hemp products to people who are younger than 21 years old and limits the sale of the product to stores that sell alcohol and standalone shops that do not allow minors access.
It also limits the THC content to five milligrams for hemp products that people consume as well as beverages, along with imposing sales tax on such items.
Opponents of the legislation said that the regulations set in the bill do not support the data related to the market for hemp products during the public hearing at the Alabama House Health Committee meeting last Wednesday.
Carmelo Parasiliti, founder and CEO of Green Acres Organic Pharms in Florence, said in an interview in March that 235 cases dealt with Delta-8 THC, a type of cannabinoid and that amounts to 0.018% of the cases for Alabama residents who are younger than 21 years old.
Law enforcement supports the bill, and said that tests on the product showed that the THC levels from products that were purchased exceeded the 0.3% hemp limit.
Members of the committee considered the legislation once again during the committee meeting Wednesday and approved it Thursday's vote on the House floor.
'When you go into a convenience store and see these products, you think that someone has looked over them, and that is just complete inaccuracy,' Whitt said.
The bill moves to the Senate.
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