The deadline is today for anyone who wants to grow hemp legally in Alabama. The plant was decriminalized in Alabama back in 2016. It has to have less than 0.3% of the marijuana-type chemical that makes you high in order to be legal. All hemp growers must apply annually to receive a hemp license. Hassey Brooks is the Deputy Commissioner for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industry. His department collects and reviews all hemp grower applications.

“Since we started the program in 2019, year one we had about 140 growers. That number drastically increased in 2020," he said. "We had over 400 licensed growers, and then in 2021 we have had less than 200.”

Brooks said industrial hemp is an effective alternative crop.

Commission member Blakemore said it’s crucial to maintain price transparency and breaks down what makes cannabis products work.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission heard from commission member Sam Blakemore Thursday regarding various types of cannabis products that could be made available.

Blakemore said the maximum number of days that could be purchased at a time will be 60, while patients will be allowed to possess up to 70 days worth of cannabis at a time. The maximum dosage would be 75 mg a day of Delta 9 THC and the maximum potency for minors would be 3 percent.

However, Blakemore said there could be room for deviation in some instances.

The Alabama Political Reporter spoke at length with Dr. Jan Roberts on Alabama’s pending medical marijuana legalization program. Roberts is an Alabama native and an internationally recognized psychotherapist, educator, and speaker, as well as a founder of Holistic Integrative Psychotherapy, and The Cannabinoid Institute.

APR: Alabama has an epidemic for opioid abuse. Have Alabama doctors been over-prescribing opioids and would medical marijuana make more sense for many of those patients rather than being prescribed opioids or any hard narcotics?

The 14 people who will oversee Alabama’s new medical marijuana program will gather for the first time Thursday.

Alabama became the 36^th state to allow cannabis for medical use when Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act on May 17, 2021. The act establishes a process through which applicants will compete for a limited number of licenses in the following categories: (1) cultivator; (2) processor; (3) dispensary; and (4) “integrated facility” (which can cultivate, process, transport, and dispense medical cannabis under one license), as well as a to-be-determined number of licenses for secure transporters and testing laboratories.

Despite some businesses claiming so, you can’t yet register for a cannabis card in Alabama.

Wednesday, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners warned the public to be on the lookout for businesses claiming they can help them receive or get pre-registered for a state cannabis card by having a physician evaluate them.

The state medical cannabis law passed in May still requires several steps before medicinal use is legal in Alabama.

The top five cities that are Google searching terms like “state cannabis legalization” are all places where cannabis is completely illegal.

An increasing number of states are banning Delta-8 THC as federal regulators verify its legality.

Delta-8 THC has become very popular, prompting more jurisdictions to restrict access to the commodity, which is often generated from hemp extracts.

Varying Responses

To limit market access, outright restrictions are being implemented and measures to prohibit the products are being considered.

According to U.S. Hemp Authority President Marielle Weintraub, states will continue to restrict Delta-8 THC and other products like it because the cannabinoid is classified as a restricted narcotic under federal law.

Throughout the country, cannabis regulations are changing every day. Some areas are experiencing more dramatic legislative upgrades than others, but every little step forward still counts. At the moment, there are 5 states that come to mind because, one, they are making big moves, or two, they are conservative states that most people were expecting would hold on to prohibition for much longer.

This week we’re focusing on the East Coast and Deep South, with updates from Connecticut, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama