Alabama elections are almost here!

Alabama is one of only 19 states that still jails people for possession of small amounts of cannabis. It is undecided as to what will happen to the state’s limited consumable hemp market when federal regulations change in December 2026. 

Possession of even a single joint (and up to one ounce) remains a  Class A misdemeanor offense, punishable with up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $6000, and a mandatory six-month suspension of your driver’s license — even though more than half of Americans live in legalization states. Last year, Alabama arrested 8,505 individuals for possession of cannabis. 

In 2026, the medical program was finally launched after years of delay. While it is still very strict and has a ban on smoking botanical cannabis, the program has begun sales and dispensaries will continue to open. You can find dispensaries and other important patient information on the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission website.

In the 2025 legislative session, HB445 was passed, which heavily curtailed hemp-derived THC products in Alabama. You can find the voting records of your legislators here. That law went into effect on July 1, 2025. 

This fall, voters will have an opportunity to decide who represents them in the state capitol. While MPP did not have the bandwidth to survey candidates for the state legislature (the complete state Senate and House are up for election), we were able to highlight the two top-polling gubernatorial candidates' policy stances on cannabis. 

Doug Jones (D) supports the federal government taking cannabis off the Controlled Substances Act and allowing states to pursue their own policies. He also supports medical cannabis and decriminalization.

Tommy Tuberville (R) supports medical cannabis only. "If we ever put marijuana on our streets legally, it's over."