Alabama State Committee of Public Health to Hold Hearing on Marijuana Rescheduling This Week

Alabama officials will hold a public hearing this week as the state considers whether to reclassify marijuana following the Trump administration’s decision to reschedule cannabis under federal law.

The Alabama State Committee of Public Health has scheduled the hearing for Wednesday, July 22, and will accept testimony from members of the public and government agencies that could be affected by the change.

Alabama law generally requires the state to adopt federal drug scheduling decisions within 30 days. However, the State Board of Health may temporarily block an automatic change by issuing an objection and holding a public hearing.

The committee filed a preliminary objection to marijuana rescheduling in May, giving officials additional time to evaluate how the federal change would interact with state laws and Alabama’s newly launched medical marijuana market.

State Health Officer Scott Harris emphasized at the time that the objection was not intended to prevent Alabama from eventually adopting the new classification, saying “We’re not saying Alabama’s not going to do this. We certainly are going to do this,” adding that the temporary objection would give officials time to work through the change with other state agencies and stakeholders.”

Under state statute, the board must publish the reasons for its objection, provide interested parties with an opportunity to be heard and issue a final decision after the hearing. State-level reclassification remains on hold until that decision is published.

In a new hearing notice, Harris said the committee will consider testimony from the public along with input from Alabama governmental entities that could be affected by marijuana rescheduling.

Following the hearing, the committee will decide whether to maintain its objection or formally adopt the federal scheduling change.