US Edition
Dothan Hemp Store Owner, Gubernatorial Candidate, ‘Disgusted’ by Statewide Hemp Shop Raids
- Alabama's House Bill 445 banning all smokable and vapeable hemp products took effect on July 1, making violations Class C felonies punishable by one to ten years in prison.
- Lawmakers framed HB445 as a measure to protect children and regulate the rapidly growing hemp industry, but four hemp retailers filed a lawsuit claiming it unlawfully criminalizes their business and violates constitutional rights.
- Judge Anderson denied the plaintiffs' motion to block HB445, stating the law does not restrict interstate hemp shipping while the companies argue it threatens a growing industry and endangers transport workers with possible felony charges.
- Store owner Goshen Jones reported that the new law has already forced him to shut down one location and will eliminate hemp-based inhalables, flower, and vape products in Alabama. Meanwhile, the lawsuit argues that HB445 unfairly targets small businesses and grants excessive authority to both the Attorney General’s office and the ABC Board.
- The new law could severely disrupt Alabama’s hemp market as retailers brace for enforcement and await a hearing on their emergency motion, while advocates insist regulations on psychoactive hemp products remain necessary.
12 Articles
12 Articles
'It's a sad day in Alabama': Businesses braces themselves for change as hemp regulations kick in
Businesses across the state of Alabama that sell hemp products say their shelves aren't as stocked as they used to be, and it's all because of the passage of House Bill 445.
Enterprise native Chad Martin; Hoover reverend announce gubernatorial bids - The Troy Messenger
Recently, Enterprise native Chad “Chig” Martin and Hoover reverend Dr. Will Boyd both announced their bids in the 2026 Alabama Governor’s race, both as Democrats. Martin is an Enterprise native that founded Thunder Industrial Supply Company in Dothan. A graduate of Enterprise High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Martin previously ran for governor in 2022, earning 5.6 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. Martin a…
Judge declines to block Alabama’s new ban on smokable hemp
Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson on Monday denied a request by four companies for an order to block part of Alabama’s new law on products made from hemp.Anderson made the ruling after a hearing Monday afternoon, when lawyers for the companies told the judge why they believed a temporary restraining order was appropriate.
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