A bill brought forth by state Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, dealing with the regulation of hemp-derived THC products, was carried over in committee on Wednesday after he made several updates to it.

The most noticeable change is a substitution that would keep products like delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10 legal, but tax them an additional 6% on top of state and local sales tax.

Melson’s original version of the bill would have classified these psychoactive cannabinoids as Schedule I controlled substances, in the same class as LSD or heroin.

In Alabama, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance is a Class D felony, which carries a standard sentence of 366 days to 5 years, according to state code.

“At this point, banning it…would probably be a lot more difficult than it’s worth,” Melson told the Senate Committee on Healthcare Wednesday.

“I think it’s regulating it, getting it to where… you can’t make it where it’s attractive to children.”

With the substances now legal under his proposed law, Melson also made substitutions in the bill to keep them away from minors, such as restricting sales to residents that are 21 and older and requiring that they are kept “out of reach from children” in gas stations and grocery stores, according to Melson.

Retailers who sell delta products to minors would be fined $1,500 on the first offense, $2,500 on the second, and $5,000 on the third under SB132, Melson told the committee.

On the fourth offense, retailers would lose their license to sell any “age related products” such as tobacco, alcohol, or delta products.

“It’s a pretty big statement that says we’re not going to tolerate these products being sold to our children,” Melson said.

SB132 also stipulates that the products must be manufactured in Alabama and undergo testing to ensure their safety.

The bill was carried over for future discussion in the Senate Committee on Healthcare.

Melson’s updates are not currently available for viewing on the Alabama Legislature website.