When The Green Plug opened on April 18 on Sixth Avenue Southeast in Decatur, the store owner was aware there were bills before the Alabama Legislature dealing with the products it offered.

The store sells hemp products, CBD oils, lotions, tinctures, chocolates, syrups, drinks, gummies, and other products, such as the hemp flower.

“City’s been great, customers have been great, definitely no complaints,” owner Thomas Wright said.

“When those bills were introduced, we kind of read them and we were like, well, they had a commonsense bill, and then they had the bill that passed. Most states would have passed the commonsense bill, but I forgot where I’m at.

“We thought we’d be OK, and lo and behold, we weren’t,” he said.

And that’s why the store plans to close next week, unless something changes.

In May, the Legislature approved HB445 by Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, after lawmakers heard pros and cons during public hearings that drew overflow crowds.

Hemp business owners said they are not opposed to more regulation, but the bill signed into law was an overreach for products they say are safer than tobacco and alcohol.

Others said the bill was too weak and wanted an outright ban on the products, which they say market THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, by exploiting a loophole in the federal law that legalized hemp.

HB445 puts the hemp-derived products and retailers under regulation by the ABC Board, imposing a 10% tax, banning some items, and setting up new requirements for packaging, labeling, and testing, as well as civil and criminal penalties for violations.

Online sales into or out of Alabama and direct home shipments will also be banned.

Owners of similar stores to The Green Plug complained of many aspects of the bill, not the least of which was its beginning date – July 1, even though other sections of the bill carry a Jan. 1, 2026 effective date.

Opponents also said many adults buy the products for relief of pain, anxiety, and sleeplessness.

For Wright, the decision was simple.

He plans to close up shop on June 30 before the new law takes effect. He expects other to do the same.

“We’re just moving down the road a bit,” he said, saying there’s no definite destination but he plans to relocate the business out of state. Wright has licenses in six states, he said.

He says the state will lose out on revenue, but the “true victims” will be customers who seek out the products for pain management.

Wright said marijuana legalization polls higher than any one politician in America.

“I don’t even know how this is a discussion at this point, to be honest,” he said. “They’re not going to prevent people from using these products. All they’re going to do is make them go to the streets and probably buy it in an unsafe manner.”