INDUSTRY UPDATES
December 13, 2018
Hemp Victory in Alabama!
Thanks to your advocacy, the wins keep piling up… A few months ago, as reported in this space, a group of Alabama prosecutors announced a pending crackdown on the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) products. Subsequently, the state’s Attorney general weighed in and joined the anti-hemp chorus. We asked our Hemp Supporters to use our online portal to urge Alabama officials to address this misguided position. Over a thousand of you sent emails. And Hemp Supporters were heard. Yesterday, upon the U.S. House’s passage of the hemp-legalizing 2018 Farm Bill, the Attorney General reversed course. In a revised Public Notice General Steve Marshall opined:
As a result of this Congressional action, CBD derived from industrial hemp, with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3%, can be legally produced, sold, and possessed within the state of Alabama.
Marshall noted that his original guidance still applies to marijuana-derived CBD, and any CBD with a THC content of higher than 0.3%. We agree. Kudos to Attorney General Marshall for his important action; he should be commended for his wise decision. We are hopeful that elected and appointed officials and other states will view the import of the 2018 Farm Bill similarly, and help us avoid over-regulation of CBD and other hemp products. And kudos to you for your advocacy. When we educate, we win.