Law restricting CBD, THC becomes effective July 1

A sweeping new law restricting the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products will go into effect statewide on July 1, drastically changing how Alabama businesses sell hemp-derived goods and how consumers access them.

House Bill 445, which was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey in May, bans all smokable hemp products and strictly limits consumable THC products such as gummies. Retailers selling THC and hemp products will be required to obtain licenses from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board. 

The license will only be awarded to businesses restricted to age 21 and over. 

“What this bill does, is it says these products need to be tested and certified and they need to be sold in a store that’s [selling to ages] 21 and older,” said State Rep. Chris Sells, one of the lawmakers behind the legislation. “All this is, is to try and protect children and really adults too. We’re not going to do away with hemp products, but we want to make sure that it’s tested and that what’s in it, is what it’s supposed to be.”

The new law specifically targets products containing intoxicating cannabinoids like Delta-8 and Delta-10, which have been widely sold in gas stations, vape shops and CBD stores. The legislation also mandates that growers obtain certification, and sellers must be licensed through the ABC board. 

According to Sells, there are no plans for selling these items in ABC stores.

“What’s wrong is that people all over the state are buying stuff, usually at convenience stores and it’s listed as some kind of supplement or herb… So, nobody really knows what’s in it,” Sells said. “We’ve looked some of these companies up and the address comes back to vacant buildings in California or Chicago.”

The new law comes on the heels of a recent multi-agency operation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which served search warrants at multiple vape shops and CBD stores across Troy, Enterprise, Clanton, Wetumpka and Montgomery. Though no arrests have been made, the seizures highlighted the growing concern over unregulated THC products on the market.

But not everyone supports the broad scope of the legislation. Danan Whiddon, an herbalist and owner of Sweetheart Alabama in Greenville, says the law unfairly impacts small business owners who sell non-intoxicating, plant-based health products.

“The law should have just been specific towards CBD products that are intoxicating,” Whiddon said. “I think it’s ridiculous. For what I am selling, I think the law was too broad… It didn’t take into consideration people like me and my products and the fact that I have a health store… They treated my store like a gas station.”

Despite the backlash, lawmakers and law enforcement say the ban is a step toward consumer safety and transparency. Sells said he plans to visit a certified Alabama-based grower and processor next week, emphasizing the state’s focus on local accountability.

“This is geared to stop this stuff from coming in here from places that we don’t know where it comes from and we don’t know what’s in it,” he said.