Latest news with #Melson
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate committee rejects bill regulating hemp drinks, products
Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, walks across the floor of the Alabama Senate on March 19, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A Senate committee Wednesday rejected a bill aimed at regulating hemp beverages and products following a tense public hearing. SB 237, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, would create regulations on consumable hemp products similar to those for alcohol and tobacco, requiring licenses for manufacturers and retailers while imposing a 10% excise tax. The bill would also ban smokable hemp products and restrict sales to individuals 21 and older. 'It's not trying to prohibit anybody from being in business or put them out (of business),' Melson said. 'We're just trying to regulate it and make sure that it's put in a place that will prevent it from getting to students.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill would have distinguished 'hemp beverages' from other hemp products, defined in the bill as 'psychoactive hemp products.' It would also require licenses to manufacture, distribute, or sell cannabis drinks to be consumed on or off-site. Other hemp products would have been regulated similarly to tobacco, with products being placed on a state directory maintained by the Department of Revenue. Melson told the committee that the bill would keep children from accessing hemp products, saying there are reports of emergency room visits linked to their consumption. 'I honestly believe, going to your place, you're doing it the right way,' Melson said to one of the public speakers. 'But somebody is selling a product that's not done the right way, and having children having seizures and going to the hospital and tying up ERs that could be taking care of heart attacks or other real patients, driving costs up for the rest us,' Melson said. Industry representatives pushed back, arguing the bill would harm their businesses while failing to effectively regulate the market. Molly Cole, a lobbyist for the Alabama Hemp and Vape Association, said the bill 'creates more problems than it solves' and asked lawmakers to consider alternative legislation that mirrors policies in other states. 'It over-regulates small businesses, making it harder for them to operate, while failing to put real protections in place to keep hemp products away from minors,' she said. 'So yes, we need regulation, but we need a 21-plus model that will mirror successful policies in other states.' Cole said that a 21-plus law would prevent minors from accessing hemp while allowing Alabama businesses to compete. She also suggested shifting regulation to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, recognizing hemp as an agricultural commodity rather than an intoxicating substance. Although industrial hemp is currently regulated by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, a law passed in 2024 shifted licensing powers for medical cannabis cultivators from the Department of Agriculture and Industries to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. Melson entered into a tense exchange with Carmelo Parasiliti, founder and CEO of Green Acres Organic Pharms in Florence, over the issue of product safety testing. The senator repeatedly said there is a lack of oversight in the current market and concerns about mislabeled and potentially harmful hemp products being sold without proper testing. 'You're saying that they do complete analysis?' Melson asked Parasiliti, to which he responded, 'Yes, sir.' 'I think you ought to be for this bill. You got something you could promote and say that you got a product that's legit, pure and everything,' Melson said. Melson and Parasiliti then dove into a lengthy exchange about the original intent of the Farm Bill that legalized the sale of certain cannabis products that are classified as 'hemp.' After a lengthy debate, the bill failed on a tied vote, but Melson suggested a similar bill could through the House. 'We will see you with the House version when it comes up,' Melson said after announcing the bill failed on a 4-4 vote. Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, has introduced HB 445 in the House, but it has yet to be assigned to a committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill to redo Alabama medical cannabis licenses draws strong opposition
Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence (center) speaks with Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 6, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Advocates and business leaders opposed SB 72 in a public hearing, warning that the bill would further delay Alabama's already stalled medical cannabis program. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Advocates and business leaders in the medical cannabis industry voiced frustration Wednesday over continued delays in Alabama's medical cannabis program. In a public hearing, every speaker objected to SB 72, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, which would scrap previously awarded medical cannabis licenses for integrated facilities and conduct a fresh evaluation of applicants. Every speaker said new legislation could further stall access to treatment. 'While this may appear to be a reasonable action on the surface, in reality, it is a move that will create further delays, more litigation and more suffering for Alabama patients who have already waited too long,' said Amanda Taylor, a potential medical cannabis patient with multiple sclerosis. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Melson indicated before the meeting started that he wanted to delay the bill at least one week to allow lawmakers and the public to review the legislation. The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has faced multiple lawsuits from applicants who were denied licenses. The courts issued a temporary restraining order late last year, preventing regulators from finalizing dispensary approvals and halting the industry before it could begin operations. Antoine Mordican, CEO of Native Black Cultivation, one of cannabis cultivators awarded a license, asked lawmakers to prioritize dispensary approvals and allow smaller operators to sell products directly to consumers. 'We fought too hard and invested too much to be shut out of the very industry we helped build,' Mordican said. 'The market must open now fairly, equitable in the opportunity for all the operators and not just a select few.' Several speakers urged lawmakers to let the judicial process play out, with the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals expected to issue a key ruling soon. Opponents believe AMCC conducted the third and latest round of licensing fairly and should be allowed to complete its review process. 'The way forward is to get behind the commission, stick with the answers that they've given us, because they put countless hours of work into this process to get to this point,' said Joey Robertson, owner of Wagon Trail Hemp Farms. Melson defended the bill, arguing that choices the commission made led to legal disputes that stalled the program's launch for nearly four years. 'I think the commission started out trying to do the process, and I think they either got bad advice or didn't follow good advice, and they went down trails they shouldn't have gone down,' Melson said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
