The upside down world of Alabama and cannabis

Alabama is a growth state. Agriculture has an economic impact of over $70 billion in Alabama. It has more than 44,000 farms covering an area of ​​8.9 million hectares. Everyone 4.6. Employment in the country is engaged in agriculture and forestry. They know the soil, the seasons and the plants. And it’s long been a hot topic along with Florida’s illegal marijuana farms. Jackson County, Florida was known as a triple experience as you could be in another state (Georgia, Alabama, Florida) within 20 minutes and evade the police. It is said that young people and old families alike benefit from crops that are making inroads into tree farms and helping them be profitable.

Still, the state is hesitant to expand medical marijuana and opposes recreational use, and one of its senators has agreed to help the industry. So you can never predict what will happen in the cotton state.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville

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Alabama chose Jeff Session, a nemesis of the marijuana industry. As attorney general during the Trump administration, he put marijuana front and center and then fell out of favor. He followed the trend and lost his Senate race to a football coach. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) recently said he would vote in favour Banking law for safe and fair enforcement (SAFE Banking Act) of 2023. The SAFE Banking Act is a bill that would prevent federal banking regulators from prohibiting or penalizing a bank from providing financial services to a state-sanctioned cannabis company.

“Yes, I am a supporter of the SAFE Banking Act,” Tuberville shared when asked by an Alabama Today reporter.

Tuberville said, “You have to prove to me that medical marijuana is good.” As long as it’s medical marijuana and you need a prescription. If we ever legally put marijuana on our streets, it’s over.” At the very least, he’s there to help patients and veterans with PTSD.

This stance contrasts with the fact that he’s in trouble for holding up 250 military promotions until he changes the Department of Defense’s stance on abortion. Key generals say we are reaching the point of a national defense crisis because of the delays.

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Despite Alabama being a growing state, the cannabis economy has been slow to develop, thanks in part to the efforts of Jeff Sessions. Alabama currently ranks 44th in the list of federal incomes (New York tops and Mississippi bottoms). In 2021, Alabama became the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana. The process of integrating the new law into daily life is a slow process, but it is expected to be completed in early 2024.

Possession is still a crime and trading is highly illegal but popular across the states, particularly in mini-tech hub Birmingham. People of color are four times more likely to go to jail for cannabis possession.

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Additionally, Alabama is not a high alcohol consumption state and ranks in the bottom 20 of alcohol consumption lists. So while Senator Tuberville could help the cannabis industry and other state economies, Alabama is slow to get where the majority of citizens want to see legalization and access. You just never know with Alabama.