Sine Die is Here | The final day of the AL 2026 legislative session

The Alabama Cannabis Coalition would like to thank the Alabama Legislature for its diligence during the 2026 Legislative Session, which concludes today, April 9, 2026, on Sine Die.

As the session comes to a close, several pieces of legislation stood out.

We are grateful that SB1, sponsored by Senator April Weaver, never advanced beyond its referral to the Senate Healthcare Committee. According to the bill summary, SB1 would have regulated nonpsychoactive consumable hemp products through the Department of Agriculture, required those products to be sold only in pharmacies, and added psychoactive hemp derivatives as Schedule I controlled substances.

We are disappointed that HB14, sponsored by Representative Marilyn Lands, never advanced beyond referral to the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee. HB14 would have authorized general laws and constitutional amendments to be initiated through a public petition process. Alabama still does not have initiative and referendum as part of its Constitution, and this legislation would have created an important gateway for citizens to petition for desired reforms.

We are also grateful that HB72, sponsored by Representative Patrick Sellers, passed the Alabama House but was never heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. HB72 addressed smoking or vaping marijuana in a motor vehicle when a child is present and included criminal penalties, Department of Human Resources notification, and mandatory reporting provisions. We believe this legislation was overly subjective and could have had serious consequences for the civil liberties of Alabama citizens.

And last, but certainly not least, the Alabama Cannabis Coalition is deeply disappointed that SB285, sponsored by Senator Bobby Singleton, once again did not move beyond referral to the Senate Judiciary Committee. SB285 would have revised Alabama’s marijuana possession law based on the amount possessed and adjusted criminal penalties. ACC fully supports decriminalization in Alabama, and this remains one of our major cornerstones. We remain grateful to Senator Singleton for continuing, year after year, to sponsor legislation aimed at reducing cannabis arrests and the possible incarceration of citizens in this state. (This is the fifth consecutive year that Senator Singleton has sponsored "decriminalization" legislation.)

While today marks the end of the 2026 Legislative Session, our work does not end here. This is the beginning of preparation for the 2027 Legislative Session.

Now is the time for citizens to get engaged.

If your mission includes the right to home grow, decriminalization, expungement, and the legalization of cannabis in Alabama, we encourage you to stand up and speak out. Nothing will change in Alabama until lawmakers hear directly from the people they represent.

We also want to remind everyone that Alabama’s primary election is coming up on May 19, 2026. Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote. Now is the time to engage candidates for executive, judicial, and legislative office and ask them where they stand on cannabis and hemp policy in Alabama.

The Alabama Cannabis Coalition remains the only active statewide cannabis advocacy organization in Alabama. We are a grassroots organization advocating every day for the citizens of this state. Three hundred sixty-five days a year, we are in the trenches fighting for your freedom, your liberty, and your justice.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help us advocate, email us at alabamacannabiscoalition@gmail.com

In closing, we make this work look easy, but we assure you it is not. For the past 14 years, the blood, sweat, and tears poured into this movement have been unmatched in Alabama.

We need you to help change the cannabis and hemp landscape in our great state.

Let’s defend our rights. It’s our state motto.

H Marty Schelper

Founder/President

Alabama Cannabis Coalition

President