In the US state of Alabama, Troy University is warning students that being caught with hemp-derived THC products could have more severe consequences as a result of recently introduced laws.
At the beginning of July this year, Alabama House Bill 445 went into effect, restricting certain hemp products from being sold in stores, such as smokeable hemp products.
“Smokable hemp products include, but are not limited to, any plant product or raw hemp material that is marketed to consumers as hemp cigarettes, hemp cigars, hemp joints, hemp buds, hemp flowers, hemp leaves, ground hemp flowers, or any variation of these terms to include any product that contains a cannabinoid, whether psychoactive or not,” states the bill. This also includes vapeable products.
However, the bill allows the sale of edibles/beverages limited to 10mg of THC per serving subject to certain conditions.
Prior to this change, a Troy student caught with an intoxicating hemp product on campus could be charged with a misdemeanor and referred to student services. However, since July 1, it’s considered a felony at a state level. While not making an arrest immediately, the Troy University Police Department (TUPD) would confiscate the suspected THC product and send it to the state lab for testing.
“If the forensic scientist told us that the THC is at a certain percentage, we would do one of two things,” said TUPD Chief George Beaudry. “We would either sign a warrant for an arrest, or we would present the case to the grand jury.”
There’s a lot at stake for students.
The Chief said a sentence for a Class C felony can be up to ten years prison and up to $15,000 in fines. And according to Troy University policies:
“A student at Troy University, who is charged with or indicted for a felony or crime involving moral turpitude, may be suspended pending the disposition of the criminal charges against him/her.”
In other cannabis news out of the state, Alabama’s medical marijuana program is still in limbo, having stalled amid ongoing legal disputes over business licenses. It has now been nearly four and a half years since medical cannabis was legalized in the state after Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 46 into law in 2021. Regulations were developed the following year, and then the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) began accepting business license applications. But it’s been hit with legal challenges ever since.
