Bill
HJR 250
Creates a temporary Alabama Legislative Study Commission on Hemp and Cannabinoid Regulation to study hemp products and propose future regulatory changes affecting safety.
Status & basic info
- Bill type: House Joint Resolution (HJR 250) — creates a temporary legislative study commission (not an immediate change to law).
- Introduced: April 15, 2025 (Rep. Gray).
- Current status (as of provided actions): Engrossed in House 4/22/2025; received in Senate and referred to Senate Rules; Reported Out of Committee, Second House (5/14/2025).
- Subject: Controlled substances / hemp and hemp‑derived cannabinoid products.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a legislatively‑appointed study commission to review the expanding hemp and hemp‑derived cannabinoid market in Alabama and produce evidence‑based recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that balance public safety and economic development.
Key provisions
- Creation: Establishes the Alabama Legislative Study Commission on Hemp and Cannabinoid Regulation.
- Membership (14 members):
- 4 legislative appointees: 2 House members (Speaker appointee; House Minority Leader appointee) and 2 Senate members (President Pro Tempore appointee; Senate Minority Leader appointee).
- State agency representatives: Alabama Dept. of Agriculture & Industries; Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board; Alabama Dept. of Public Health.
- Industry and stakeholder representatives: Alabama Hemp and Vape Association; one licensed hemp grower (appointed by Commissioner of Agriculture); one licensed hemp processor (appointed by Commissioner); one retailer of hemp‑derived products operating in Alabama; Alabama Grocers Association.
- Public interest: one consumer representative or public health advocate with relevant expertise; one representative from the Alabama Poison Information Center (added by amendment).
- Diversity requirement: Appointing authorities must coordinate to ensure racial, gender, geographic (urban/rural) and economic diversity among members.
- Chair and meetings: Chair is a legislative member selected jointly by the Speaker and the Senate President Pro Tempore. First meeting to be held no later than 30 days after passage; meets thereafter at the chair’s call.
- Compensation:
- Legislative members: receive legislative compensation, per diem, and travel under Section 49 of the Alabama Constitution (2022).
- Nonlegislative members: serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses per their appointing authority’s policies, subject to available funds.
- Reporting and termination:
- Commission must submit a written report of findings, conclusions, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than the fifth day of the 2026 Regular Session.
- Upon filing the report during the 2026 Regular Session, the commission is dissolved.
- Transparency: Commission must provide meeting notices, member list, final report and other produced documents to the Secretary of State per Code Section 36‑14‑17.1. Appointing authorities are to receive a copy of the resolution.
Scope of study (enumerated topics)
- Review current status and issues around:
- Cultivation, processing, and testing
- Retail sale, advertising, labeling
- Age restrictions, consumer safety, law enforcement implications
- Regulatory oversight and enforcement gaps
Who would be affected
- Directly: state agencies, hemp growers and processors, retailers and grocers, industry associations, poison control/public health actors, law enforcement, consumers.
- Indirectly: broader agricultural and retail sectors and communities where hemp production/retail is present.
- Outcome: recommendations could lead to future statutory or regulatory changes affecting licensing, testing, labeling, age limits, enforcement, and economic rules for hemp/cannabinoid products.
Procedural/timeline notes
- First meeting: within 30 days after the resolution’s passage.
- Final report deadline: no later than the 5th day of the 2026 Regular Session.
- Commission terminates when the report is filed.
- As a study commission created by resolution, HJR 250 itself does not change regulations; it produces recommendations for the Legislature to consider.
Limitations
- Temporary, advisory in nature — any regulatory or statutory changes require separate legislative action.
- Nonlegislative members are unpaid and reimbursement depends on appointing authority funds/policies.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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