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Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC molecule formula with Marijuana background, Cannabis.
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC molecule formula with Marijuana background, Cannabis sativa.
The Vestavia Hills City Council has scheduled a work session for Monday, March 30, to discuss several issues, including potential regulations for the sale of consumable hemp products, such as those with THC.
Tetrahydocannabinol, often known as THC, is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant and is responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana use. It acts on cannabinoid receptors in the brain, affecting memory, pleasure and coordination, and is used both recreationally and medically.
A new state law that went into effect Jan. 1 does not outlaw consumable hemp products but it does set up parameters for who can sell the products and how, when and where they may be sold.
Now, only retailers licensed by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board can sell consumable hemp products, and there are only three types of retailers allowed to do so: hemp dispensaries, pharmacies or grocery stores.
Each type of retailer can sell only certain forms of consumable hemp products, according to Whitt Steineker, an attorney with the Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings law firm, who wrote an article on the new law for The National Law Review.
For example, hemp dispensaries may sell all forms of consumable hemp products (that is, beverages, edibles and topical or sublingual products), while retail grocers may only sell consumable hemp beverages, Steineker wrote. Pharmacies are limited to topical or sublingual consumable hemp products.
It’s particularly noteworthy that consumable hemp products no longer can be sold at convenience stores, which perhaps previously was the largest point of sale for such products, Steineker wrote.
Another change is that prior to seeking a license from the state ABC Board, retailers must seek permission to sell such products from the municipalities in which they reside. And cities are allowed to set up their own regulations.
Some cities, such as Auburn, Millbrook and Pike Road, already have signaled they will not allow the sale of consumable hemp products, Steineker wrote.
Other topics for discussion by the Vestavia Hills City Council at its Monday work session likely will include return on investments and a request by the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders for Vestavia Hills to charge an additional fee with each home building permit to help fund a new Central Alabama Home Building Academy that will help draw more people into that workforce and give them training.
The Hoover City Council recently added a $20 fee to every home building permit to help fund that effort.
