Don’t count Alabama as the favorite among red states to legalize adult-use marijuana sales.
Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said this week he has no plans to bring recreational cannabis up for debate during his term.
“We are at least four years from that,” Ledbetter said, according to AL.com.
Ledbetter’s current term ends Nov. 6, 2026.
Under Alabama law, voter-led ballot initiatives are prohibited, so any adult-use legislation would have to go through the state Legislature.
Alabama has a GOP-trifecta in which Republicans control the governorship and both chambers of the Legislature.
Lawmakers approved medical marijuana sales in May 2021, and the market could open later this year under several restrictions.
Alabama regulators last week greenlit 90 MMJ businesses to advance to the review and scoring process for business licenses.
