A bill brought forth by state Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, to regulate hemp-derived THC products failed Wednesday in the Senate Committee on Healthcare.
The bill failed by a vote of four yays, four abstentions, and four nays.
Opponents of SB132 who spoke at Wednesday’s public hearing expressed concerns about how well the bill had been thought out and the possibility of Melson’s proposed restrictions creating an even more dangerous black market for products like delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10.
“I feel like we’re weaponizing regulations against small businesses,” said Carmelo Parasiliti, CEO and Founder of Green Acres Organic Pharms.
“Where’s the due process?”
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The bill has gone through multiple rounds of updates since it was filed last month.
Melson’s original version of the bill would have classified “psychoactive cannabinoids” as Schedule I controlled substances, in the same class as LSD or heroin.
In Alabama, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance is a Class D felony, which carries a standard sentence of 366 days to 5 years, according to state code.
Before its first read in committee, Melson introduced major updates to the bill that would make the products legal but provide for their regulation.
Melson said this week that the first version was filed to “shock people and start a conversation.”
But even after weeks of amendments and conversation, the majority of the committee was hesitant to approve the bill on Wednesday.
“We don’t need to rush this,” said Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, who voted against the bill.
“We need to work through this bill. There are a lot of issues.”
Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said she supports the regulation of delta products, but abstained from voting.
“We want to get it right,” she said.
She suggested that another recently introduced bill, SB255, may be the better option.
The bill, brought forth this week by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, also regulates the sale of delta products.
It proposes an additional tax of six percent on the sales price of all “novel cannabinoid products,” and allows the Department of Revenue to revoke the license of any establishment that sells products to minors.
SB255 also allows the Department of Revenue to impose a fine of up to $10,000 on any business that sells “novel cannabinoid products” without a license, according to its text.
The bill is currently pending action in the Senate Committee on Tourism.