AL Political Reporter: “In less than five minutes — with no debate and no amendment — Alabama lawmakers advanced a bill that could criminalize legal products, gut small businesses, and send people in need to the black market. They say it’s about safety. But HB445 is a blunt instrument disguised as protection — and the fallout will be severe.
House Bill 445 hands sweeping power to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, bans all inhalable hemp products — including vapes, buds, and flowers — and forces what’s left into pharmacies and liquor stores. Never mind that those stores don’t carry these products or that they aren’t equipped to serve patients seeking plant-based alternatives. This isn’t about regulation. It’s about control.
HB445 is a case study in how to turn a legitimate concern into a harmful overreaction. You don’t reduce harm or promote public safety by forcing a legal industry into hiding. Yet that’s exactly what this bill does. People who rely on THCa, Delta-8, or other hemp-derived products won’t stop needing them just because the state says so. They’ll turn elsewhere — to unregulated, untaxed, and potentially dangerous alternatives.”