Consumable hemp products; exempt pharmacies selling consumable hemp products from licensing and oversight by ABC Board; Pharmacy Board required to enforce consumable hemp safety requirements for pharmacies
Summary
HB590 would change how pharmacies may sell consumable hemp products in Alabama. Under current law, pharmacies that sell certain hemp products are regulated by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC Board) and may sell only topical and sublingual products under existing restrictions. This bill creates a new section of law allowing a pharmacy that holds a valid Alabama Board of Pharmacy permit to sell consumable hemp products at retail without obtaining an ABC Board license and without being subject to ABC Board oversight, so long as the pharmacy complies with product safety requirements and related state hemp rules.
The bill also shifts enforcement authority to the Alabama Board of Pharmacy, which would be responsible for enforcing the new pharmacy-specific hemp provisions and could adopt rules to implement them. The bill amends existing hemp retail provisions to carve pharmacies out of the ABC Board licensing framework and to clarify that pharmacies may sell consumable hemp products, including topical, sublingual, and other compliant products, under pharmacy-board supervision rather than alcohol-board regulation.
Impact
HB590 would amend Section 28-12-45 and add Section 28-12-6 to the Code of Alabama 1975, creating a separate regulatory pathway for pharmacies that sell consumable hemp products. It would remove those pharmacies from ABC Board licensing and oversight, while still requiring compliance with age limits, product testing, labeling, packaging, and other safety standards. The Alabama Board of Pharmacy would gain enforcement authority and rulemaking power over these pharmacy sales, affecting pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, hemp product suppliers, and state regulators.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be a regulatory and industry-specific proposal rather than a broadly controversial one at this stage. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided material, and the bill is listed as pending committee action. The overall tone of the legislation is permissive toward pharmacies, suggesting support for expanding pharmacy retail options while maintaining safety and age restrictions.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the shift in regulatory authority from the ABC Board to the Alabama Board of Pharmacy. Supporters may view the bill as a way to let pharmacies sell hemp products under a more appropriate professional regulator, while opponents may prefer continued ABC Board oversight or worry about loosening retail controls. Another possible issue is whether pharmacies should be exempt from licensing and oversight requirements that apply to other hemp retailers, especially given the bill’s expansion beyond topical and sublingual products to broader consumable hemp sales.
Controlled substances; regulate sale of nonpsychoactive consumable hemp products by Agriculture Department; require sale of products only in pharmacies; add psychoactive derivatives of hemp as Schedule I drug
Psychoactive cannabinoids in hemp; regulate under Alcoholic Beverage Control Board; hemp beverages and psychoactive hemp products defined; licensure required; penalties imposed for violations