FM Talk 1065 Podcasts
Sweet Home Cannabama 7-8-24 Melissa Mullins Alabamians For Medical Cannabis Freedom
(upbeat music) - It's time for Sweet Home, "Cannabema," a show that'll answer all your questions, provide accurate information, and dispel the myths of cannabis, and have your specific questions answered by emailing jennifer@cannabema.com, or text or call 3430106. And now, for all things cannabis in Alabama, here's your host, Jennifer Boozer. - Welcome to the show, everybody. I'm your host, Jennifer Boozer, owner and founder of "Cannabema" in downtown Mobile. We're located at 558 St. Francis Street, just a block off of Dauphin Street. Wencesles is our most common sort of landmark that we use to tell people we're a block up from Wencesles, right off of Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile. Big Orange Stucco Building, you can't miss us right on the corner. And that's 558 St. Francis. Our phone number is 251-255-5155. You can call us, you know, we're there 10 to 7, Monday through Thursday, 10 to 8, Friday and Saturday, noon to five on Sunday. So we're someone's there every day to help you answer your questions, to help you pick out product, whatever you need. And then, of course, you can always go to canabema.com. We now have our e-commerce site back up. And then, of course, you can find us on social media. We're live here on the radio at FM-TOT-1065, every Monday night at 7 p.m., here on the Gulf Coast. And then, we are streaming live from our Facebook page, from Instagram. And so, this whole video thing is really new for us, and it's a little bit scary, and I have to remember to look at the camera and tellers laughing at me. (laughs) But yeah, you can now, you can see us. And that, it's great because most of our guests from out of state or out of town, like tonight's guest. And this platform allows our listeners to get to see them as well, and I get to see them. There's so many times I interview people, and I've never met them before. So it's really fun to get to see people's body language and all that good stuff. So yeah, we're gonna be doing this every week, every Monday night at 7 o'clock. Again, right here on FM-TOT-1065 on radio. I believe we spend the pay and handle to the Bluxy area. And of course, you can find the audio podcast on all your favorite streaming services, and then you'll be able to do the replay on YouTube. And then on Thursdays and Saturdays, on A1A production streaming radio, we are on again at 4/20 on Thursdays and Saturday. So yeah, so we're trying to get the word out about cannabis. We talk about everything. If you're new to the show, everything we can possibly think of, we get our hands on, we love to educate. Of course, a lot of shows end up being about politics, and unfortunately, this is one of those. But I wanna talk about some current events. This yesterday, I believe my Facebook told me, was the Sweet Home Cannabis five-year anniversary. So we have been doing this radio show, and as far as I know, we used to be one of two radio shows, and now we're one of one. So unless some show has popped up somewhere in the last several months or year, since we last looked, we think we're the only ones. But so for the next three weeks after tonight, we're going to be celebrating. I have a big guess that's gonna come on for two weeks in a row, and it's a huge film about a federal issue and states issues within the hemp industry and the dissemination of the hemp industry now by our comrades in the weed business. And so we will be talking with Nicholas Patrick about that and his film. I would love for you guys to go and check it out now. Ahead of the shows, I was blown away at the quality. It's very captivating. It's bright and colorful. It is very easy to follow. The interviews are very poignant, and I think everybody should watch them. And you can find that on YouTube. It's called Weed Wars. And there is a part one and a part two. And anytime you see the name Maryland in that film, replace it with the name Alabama or even America based on some of the stuff we're gonna talk tonight. But the hemp industry is really under fire. And in Maryland, it's gotten super bad. And some of the stuff that we fear coming down the pike has already happened there. And so it gives you a good idea of what the negative possibilities are because this is real people's lives. So check out Weed Wars part one or two. We're gonna talk with the film director, Nicholas Patrick next week and the following week. And then the last Monday of the month, July 30th, which happens to be my baby boy's birthday. We are gonna have a special fifth anniversary show. We're gonna have special guests. We're gonna give away. I was thinking while ago, washing my hands after going to the ladies room, maybe we should give away $500 gifts. And maybe I'll find a way to make that happen. (laughing) I don't know if I can afford it yet, but we're gonna give away a ton of stuff. I would love to be able to give away $500 worth of products and gift cards. So anyway, so the next several shows are gonna be really, really special. And then of course, we'll be getting back into the flow of school and the rest of the fall. So we don't have any outdoor events. We're not having any events. We sort of decided to take the summer off from all that. It's super hot so we're sitting out on the sidewalk or the street somewhere. And so we are just kind of transitioning into some new things like doing the video stream and we're working on some other projects. But in the fall, we will be planning some events as soon as the weather cools off, school starts back. And, but we are open seven days a week, no matter what. And online 24 hours a day. So anytime you need a shop or if you have a question, hit us up even through social media, email jennifer@cannabamma.com. We love to hear from our customers. I'd like to bring our guests on the show now tonight. We're gonna bring back a familiar voice and now hopefully she'll be a familiar face. But my good friend, Melissa Mullins, is founder of Alabamians for Medical Cannabis Freedom. And also the Mullins lobby firm. And that is the firm that I am a lobbyist with. And I am the, I think she told me I was the CEO. (laughing) So I made a CEO decision this morning and then my stomach's been on easy ever since. Welcome to the show, Melissa. - Hey, how's your name? - I'm good, I'm good. Tell us real quick, I know some of my listeners are familiar with you. But tell us a little bit about who you are and why you work in cannabis advocacy. - Yeah, everybody should know who I am by now, but I mean, I know they should. - Right. - I'm Melissa Mullins, I've always lived in Alabama. And the reason that I started advocating was when my daughter Torrance was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. And I did a little bit of advocacy work. I wasn't actually lobbying. I was doing more advocacy through autism society in Alabama. So after a while, I kinda got, I started realizing that Alabama needed so many more resources for individuals that are disabled, individuals that are on the spectrum. So I decided to kind of step up the gang a little bit. In 2019, is when I finally came on board with cannabis advocacy. Is that because you did research and found information for Tori and for yourself? - Yeah, for Tori and for myself, 'cause I have medical conditions that would qualify me for the cannabis program also. - Right. - So the main driving force, you know, me, it's always, it's always in Tori. - Of course, that's any mother, that's their driving force, you know. So, but when I started in 2019, it was just strictly advocacy work. I was helping him out. And one of the legislators that was in office at the time, and Tom Motley, I know he doesn't mind me, for really who he is, you know, he comes to me and he said, Melissa, you would be so, so good on a bigger platform. So here we are. - Okay. Well, it's funny because, I mean, I'm sure you could look back 10, 15 years, 20 years ago, in laugh, or someone had told you you'd end up fighting for cannabis in Alabama, huh? - Oh gosh, yeah, honey, 'cause you're in session, I wake up every single morning when Alabama's in session thinking, why, what are you doing? - Right. (laughs) I know, and I know my listeners are familiar with all of our woes. Well, are you waiting to be able to apply yourself? - Yes. - And so, in Tory as well, right? - Yes. - Y'all are waiting for the medical cannabis program in Alabama to be available, so that you can, now is there anything you've been getting in the mail that helps you otherwise? - I have you at Alabama, that's right. (laughs) - Oh, I'm gonna stop you. - That's right, freedom, freedom. - Freedom, CBD and tuscaloosa, that's right. We take care of you. - Well, and that's a pleasure for us because we see people like you and like Tory every day and people who need help and they don't know where else to turn. And, you know, we've, you and I have been here fighting for this bill for as long as I've known you and that's how we met is fighting for legalization and then we've seen it come and we've seen it get off the ground and then we've seen it language. When we come back from the break in just a few minutes, I want us to give the listeners an update about the latest with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. I know we took a few weeks off of the show to take a break and so we have not talked to the listeners since the last AMCC meeting. When we come back, we'll have more with Melissa Mullins in the AMCC meeting. Stay with us. (upbeat music) - Welcome back to Sweet Home, Alabama. Now with all the information you want about cannabis, here's your host, Jennifer Booser. - Welcome back everybody. We're talking tonight with Melissa Mullins, founder of Alabamians for medical cannabis freedom and the Mullins lobby firm. Melissa, right before the break, we were talking about how you got into cannabis and I did want to give everybody a disclaimer, Melissa's having some weather issues. You all right over there? She's in Alexander City. Well, if she goes, if her line goes dead because the power went out, well, I'm just going to drag one of these boys over to the microphone and we're going to finish this conversation. Okay, so let's get into the latest Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission meeting. It was several weeks ago, but we have not been on the air since then with an update. So give us a quick overview about what happened at this last meeting. I believe it was June 10th or the 12th. I can't remember. Yes, I believe it with the can't. Okay, so tell us basically they had a hearing. It wasn't a meeting. Let me correct myself. I'm looking at, I'm saying the word, I'm thinking hearing and I'm looking at the word meeting, which is wrong. It was the, it was a hearing on the lawsuits with the TRO or the restraining order that's in place. So, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but it was a hearing at court. What was we say because, you know. Yes. We're perfect. Okay, so talk to me about this hearing. Okay, so what ends with that happening was the TRO, the temporary restraining order, that we were asking Judge Anderson to lift so that what is in place in the program can move forward. He said that he would not lift the restraining order. He said keep that in place until every, all of the parties involved to come together and have a clear appeals process in place for those that are denied a license going forward. So he won't lift it until everybody comes together to put together a clear appeals process for anybody who doesn't win a license. So we already know the five licenses that were awarded but not actually issued. And then we know that they wanted to add, what was it, five more or 10 more, a bunch more. And that did not happen during the legislative session. So there are five licenses available. They've already picked five people, but there are what about a dozen lawsuits. And so until everybody could come together and create a clear appeals process for the ones that don't win, he's not gonna lift this TRO. But what does that even mean? If they already have five people picked out and only five people are gonna get a license, what is the appeals process going to do? Are they going to give the licenses and then six months later go, well, you know, this guy should have got it instead of you and take it back or are they going to change it later and add additional licenses? I don't understand what the appeals process is for at this point. Everybody and their brother has been on the losing end at least once. We know Antoine was on that list twice and then ended up prevailing. But some of the, you know, all these people were left off at least once. So, and that the appeals process being lawsuits is why we're in this position we're in, correct? 'Cause there was no clear and easy or simple appeals process in place and everybody has really dug in and are determined that they're gonna fight to the death for these five licenses. And so what we were wanting or we were hoping for the patients are hoping for was that they would lift the restraining order at least for the ones who've already been issued. Because like Antoine told us a few weeks ago, well, that was a month ago now. He was already harvesting his first crop and has nowhere to send it. Right. I should have asked him before the show how many pounds. But I mean, he is, he's sitting on freshly harvested and probably cured by now crop of flour and bio mass that they can make these products out of. And they, I don't know, maybe they can move them onto the processor. But how is the processor going to pay for the biomass to create the products if there's no in-line consumer and none in sight? I wish I had that answer for you. Didn't expect to do it. I'm just saying all the things that people continue to ask me because I don't have an answer either. You know, I mean, I get that there does need to be a clear appeals process, but what does that mean? And how does that work? You know, what is going to be the deciding factor on who gets these licenses? I mean, does anybody really know what it is? It's a lack of an appeals process. Sounds like, I don't know. It just doesn't sound like a good enough reason. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with what the judges decided. And surely if he's erring on the side of caution, we applaud that. But I just, I guess that this doesn't make much sense. No one is talking about the real reason and all this has happened, we don't know what's really at the bottom of these lawsuits and these situations. So we don't know how to answer and we don't know how to talk about it. I mean, do you find that that's true? Yes, I do. Right, I mean, I know you are, or like me, amongst the people in your circles. And you know, professionally, personally, you're the one people go to to get the latest information. Same for me. And it's so frustrating because nothing has changed. The TRO is still there. It's been over a year. No one's getting anywhere. And now the only progress that's been made hopefully won't hurt people like our friend Antoine in the long run because he can't do anything else. What do you do? Keep growing every year. And when does the money run out? Yeah, yeah, definitely was talking about it. I mean, you know, is he going to have to renew his license? It's been already almost a year. I don't know. So, I mean, you know, what is he really going to do? Okay, so that's all, that's all the information that we have about that, correct? Do we have another hearing coming up or another meeting scheduled for the commission? There is another commission meeting and I believe it's on the 17th of July of this month. I believe. Do we have any idea what the agenda is? I mean, can they do anything or meet about anything? I know they've skipped other meetings because there was nowhere to go and nothing to discuss. Well, if they don't have anything to discuss, of course, they will just put out a memo that might kind of skip the meeting. But usually they don't put the agenda out until the day before the meeting. Okay, okay, all right. Well, I can't imagine what else there is until there's a way to move forward. I can't imagine what there is except more in fighting and I really don't know. I don't know what the answer is. I wish I knew more about the details. So it would make sense to me. So I could explain it to people who are desperate. That's the hard part. It's not that I feel dumb not having an answer. It's just that I don't know what to say to people who are desperate and are waiting. So. - That's my big thing. I mean, you know, I have clients, I have friends and other patients, family members that are like Melissa, this has been two years. - Right. - What's happening, you know, and veterans. I mean, you know, there's probably more now, 22 veterans a day, you know, that commit suicide. - Right. - And we have up to 100,000 patients in Alabama that are suffering on a daily basis and dying on a daily basis. - Right, and as far as I understand in Alabama, the only access to any type of medicinal cannabis type products is marinol. But they don't give that to you until you're basically almost dead. And it's synthesized THC. Isn't it ironic that they're trying to ban what they call synthetic cannabinoids, but they literally have broken their backs on marinol prescriptions? Anyway. - That's awesome. No one asks me that just popped into my head and I had to say it out loud. Okay, let's talk about some more crazy in Alabama. Now, I know everybody listening that listens regularly is gonna groan audibly. But the vape bill that will not die is upon us again, okay? Now, everybody remember that the legislative session for this year ended in May. And now, I'll let you tell them, Melissa, what did we find out a couple of days ago that's already two months old, two month old information? - Yeah, okay, so I've just had a message from somebody that said that the cannabis commission was on the 11th, I think it was. - Okay, the 11th. - Thank you for correcting. - Yes, I know I have about three different people that will chime in if I need to, especially Marty, I love Marty, my fact checker. Shout out to Marty Schulper. And I already know she's listening 'cause she told me right before the show. Okay, so now we are seeing this ugly vape bill rear its head and we don't have much time before the break. So I wanna just give a recap for those of you who are still twitching from the trauma of the last one. But for the last two sessions, we have been fighting a vape bill and why do we care about a nicotine vape bill, right? Because they're trying to cram CBD into the definition of eliquid. That's the only reason we are involved because we do have a CBD and other cannabinoid vape products and it would wipe out a significant portion of our income not to mention the 1,800 plus vape shops that we have tried to help fight alongside, including Sonia who also owns a vape shop, a vapor craft in Tuscaloosa. And all these people will lose their incomes like instantaneously, you know? And then we go back to the illustrious finding of children and the ABC board and, you know, advertising and all these penalties. Let's just break down the worst of it. But okay, so the reason we're talking about this right now before I get ahead of myself is because three days after the session ended, right? Melissa, three days? - Three days. - Three days, Senator. Okay, let me screw up his name. I just said I was not gonna screw up his name. Garland, Gudger, Garland, right? Garland, Gudger? - Yes. - Garland, Gudger. In the Senate is sponsoring this bill. When we come back from the break, we'll go over that phenomenon. Stay with us. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Welcome back to Sweet Home, Canada. Now with all the information you want about cannabis, here's your host, Jennifer Buser. - Welcome back everybody tonight. We're talking to Melissa Mullins, who is the founder of Alabamians for Medical Cannabis Freedom and the Mullins, lobby firm and my good friend. Melissa, we started talking right before the break about the dreaded return of the vape bill six months before the next session, guys, six months. So Garland, Gudger, now, okay, previously, this bill has been introduced to the house by our own Barbara Drummond here, Mobile. And she's been able to get it through the house and the last two years it has died in the Senate. So now, just three days after the session ended, we have a senator who is sponsoring. It's similar, it looks pretty much identical, but this issue with the vape ban is coming back up. I'm not sure why they made it known so soon after the session ended and so far ahead of the next session, 'cause usually we learn these things like two days before and we don't have much time to scramble. And so the six month heads up is a little strange. So Melissa, we found it weird, right? 'Cause it's, in my experience, very, very limited experience. We don't do things six months ahead of time like this. - No, we do not. And I was really shocked when I looked and I found it, there are a few changes, but for the most part, it's the same, it's worth the work. There are a few changes. - Right, they're redefining, they're revising the definition of electronic nicotine delivery system to include battery powered devices that deliver substances other than tobacco, meaning liquid nicotine or whatever else. I mean, they make B12 vapes now. They make all sorts of mushroom vapes, they make all kinds of stuff that you can inhale for a delivery system. It prohibits the distribution of tobacco, tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery system, e-liquid and alternative nicotine products through a vending machine. Now, this is interesting because I just had someone come to the store, it's a customer. He's always young and he's passionate and he's always excited about what he wants to do and what other people are doing and he loves to swap stories with me. And he was just saying, man, I saw these two businesses in Dallas and they had a nicotine disposable vape vending machine in their establishment. I think one was like a bar and grill and the other one might have been a straight up bar, but it was a small machine that was mounted on the wall, not like those big gargantuan ones, but a small machine that you could go up and get a small selection of nicotine vapes. And I'm sure that they probably had 10 or 12 to choose from. And that is a really smart way to be able to provide nicotine products in a way. I think the vending machine checks their ID and everything. They have to have a valid ID that scans that they're 21. So this takes it out from behind the counter, no one can access it unless they can prove that their ID is 21 and up and it matches and it has to match the card that they use to pay as well and then it doesn't take cash. Anyway, this sounds like a really smart thing if you wanted to offer people an alternative to cigarettes, but this is putting the kabosh on that. And I even heard about another local business that maybe or is doing this hadn't heard of anybody else, but, and I won't mention the business because, you know, that's not relevant. But anyway, I kind of want to call them now and go, "Hey, you might want to pay attention to this," you know? And I don't know how quickly that would catch on. - The vending machine thing was in the last deal, too. - Really, 'cause it only jumps out at me now because I just heard that last week or not even, I think it was the day before 4th of July is when he told me about it. So that's why it stuck out in my mind that the second line on here is about a vending machine. So it requires an application fee, an annual permit. And then let's see, the ABC board will assess an administrative penalty for a violation of the new tobacco retail laws. So, you know, they're defining different funds in different ways that this can be violated. Increased penalty that may be assessed and provide for the distribution of the penalty, further provide for the membership of the advisory board to the ABC board. So I think there's like a separate tobacco or nicotine board, I'm not clear. - Anyway, so this is, the manufacturers would have to meet certain requirements and be approved by the state. And that starts with the FDA approval process for nicotine, correct? And that's why we're so upset that they're adding CBD to this because the process that the FDA has in order to get on to the state registry does not exist outside of a nicotine product, not even a non nicotine vape juice. 'Cause they make vape juice that's just flavored. It's just a habit thing. People like the fruity taste or whatever. I don't know what the appeal is. But anyway, so they sell nicotine juice that, I mean, vape juice doesn't have nicotine and that doesn't even qualify for that process. And there is no process to get a hemp liquid or cannabinoid suspension or whatever. Where do you wanna use a CBD vape product or a THC vape product that is legal? There's no approval process available. So what Marty's saying, Alabama businesses are also vending ammunition. - Ammunition. (laughing) - Okay. - Well, I had not heard that. Wow, that is some Guillot right there. - That's not worth it at all, that's not worth it at all. - Well, I mean, you know, I mean, I don't know. I don't know. There's so many, I'm not going down that rabbit hole. Sorry, Marty. (laughing) So it's gonna require tobacco retailers to post signage warning of the dangers of tobacco product use. And I have seen that all over the place. The stickers that are like, "You're gonna die if you do this." I mean, it's pretty clear, but no one cares. We all know that anyway. And then, let's see, rulemaking authority for the ABC Board sounds scary. To administer tobacco retail laws. And then they want the State Board of Education to adopt a model policy for the establishment of vaping awareness, education and prevention programs to discourage the possession and use of prohibited tobacco and/or products to K through 12 schools. They would be required to adopt a policy based on the model policy. And so after this, I found this interesting. I don't see anything in here about fines. Did you see anything about fines for kids getting caught at school with Vapes? That's one thing-- - I did not, but I'm sure, and I don't see it. - I don't see it. - It was in the last two versions of this. There was a $300-$500 fine for any school age kid that gets caught with a vape at school. And then I think there was a fine when they can prove that it came from a business that sold to a minor. But I don't see that in here. I see that, you know, a minor is under 21 years of age, but I don't see, let's see. There's some permit fees, but I don't see any other fees on here. So maybe they took that out because that was absolutely pointless. This is one of the poorest states in the country. The economic nightmare we are all living in and they wanna give kids fines. So if they took that out, then Bravo and I applaud them for that because that was completely unnecessary. If you're gonna find people, find their parents, if you can prove the parent gave it to them, find the business because the fast stop on old show needs fines. Anyway, the last part of this is the definitions of alternative nicotine products. And they're giving the definition and what it does not include. Like alternative nicotine product term does not include a tobacco product, electronic nicotine delivery system or any product that has been approved by the FDA. Again, through that as a tobacco cessation product. So they will let us have the alternative but it has to go through the FDA approval process. 90% of these companies aren't gonna spend the money to do that just to be selling in Alabama because other states don't require that. - And it also has to be marketed to be sold for that purpose. - Right, right. And then eliquid is a liquid that contains nicotine or other substances and may include flavoring or other ingredients. The term includes eliquid substitutes, tobacco substitutes and any other product that may be used in conjunction with electronic nicotine delivery system or other substances, including but not limited to, oh, this is CBC oil, CBD oil. (laughing) We'll stay away from CBC. That is a thing, by the way. I sell CBC liquid drops. It's very highly anti-inflammatory. Thank you very much. But that is not what they intended to put in there. It's supposed to say CBD. Hey, remember how Mississippi threw out their medical program over a single digit typo? Sounds like a plan to me. (laughing) Okay, so then they just explained that the permitting fees and all that stuff. So we are not sure why they announced this so soon. We are not sure why Senator Grudger is bringing this to the Senate instead of Representative Drummond bringing it back through the house, I can guess. But as far as I know she needs the help, I don't know much about most of the senators, I'll be honest. But it is curious because everyone else that we were discussing with that do know a little bit more about him and his record were surprised that it was something that he would take on. And so I do wanna say that he was in a jet ski accident the Senator was this weekend and been hospitalized. And we want to say that we have him and his family in our thoughts and prayers. And it sounded like it was pretty bad, but I know he's, I don't think it was life threatening, but I know he's been hurt pretty bad. And so he's on our mind because of this topic and we just found it out two days ago. So I wanted to acknowledge that that the people of Alabama are praying for you Senator. So we don't know what's gonna happen next with that, but I would like to leave the vape bill that will not die. (laughing) That's what it feels like y'all, it really does, doesn't it Melissa? (laughing) - Okay. - Okay. - I was, did you, I wanna point out something that it was on the information that I sent you and I had it in red. - Oh, okay, yes. - Because I'm really curious to know if it's just me or if y'all are reading it the same way I am. - Okay, let's read it aloud. Liquid nicotine container. This is the definition of a liquid nicotine container. A bottle or other container of a liquid product that is intended to be vaporized and inhaled using an electronic nicotine delivery system. The term does not include a container holding liquid that is intended for use in a vapor product if the container is pre-filled and sealed by the manufacturer and is not intended to be opened by the consumer. That is a, wow, I couldn't even understand it while I was reading it. Here's what I'm focused on. So they're defining this liquid nicotine container. It's a bottle of liquid with vape stuff in it. That's the brief version of that. The term does not include a container holding liquid to vape if it's been pre-filled and sealed by the manufacturer which sounds like every single vape I sell. So, right, that sounds like a disposable. Oh my goodness, when we come back we're gonna start to talk about something else and maybe something will make sense. Stay with us. (upbeat music) - Welcome back to Sweet Home, Canada. Now with all the information you want about cannabis, here's your host, Jennifer Boozer. - Welcome back everybody. You're listening to Sweet Home, Canada, right here on FM Talk 1065 every Monday night at 7 p.m. and you can now live stream us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Email us, send us your questions. I would love to put together just a plain old Q&A show because we, that's all we do is answer questions. We're talking tonight to Melissa Mullins. Melissa, we only have one more segment left and we do, I do wanna talk about the Farm Bill a little bit. We talked about it weeks ago whenever we were on the air before and broke down this Mary Miller amendment and I got some information from the US Himp Roundtable. Not a lot has happened since this sort of came out suddenly about three, four weeks ago. Again, we haven't been on the air so we gotta cover this. And so the infamous Mary Miller amendment has now been attached to two separate pieces of legislation. One is the House Farm Bill, which we are currently operating under the 2018 Farm Bill because they did not pass one last year in 23 and it does not look good for 24, possibly next year before they get a Farm Bill pass, but they've also added the same amendment to the fiscal year 25 agriculture/FDA appropriations bill. And this is a funding bill that funds all agriculture programs in the United States and so there's a, we've still got a ways to go and time to educate policymakers, but the members of Congress and senators, especially on the Agriculture Committee, need to be urged and implored to reject any effort to include the Mary Miller amendment in the Farm Bill or the Appropriations Committee bill and representatives of the House Appropriations Committee need to be advised to support efforts to remove this amendment in their markup process. You know, they passed it initially, but then they go to markup and that's where they start adding amendments, correct Melissa? - Correct, and I'm going to be sending out a new action alert for call back in. - Okay, and so just to recap, the Mary Miller amendment is the amendment in the Farm Bill and now the Appropriations bill that has been offered that would federally ban all ingestible hemp products with any amount of THC whatsoever. So that means the, it's easier to tell you what we will have left than what we will lose because we will lose everything, including if it's any level of THC, that includes fully Farm Bill compliant, full spectrum CBD oil, like what I take, that does have a trace of THC below 0.3. I can't live with, I mean, isolates great. Plain old CBD by itself is wonderful, but it doesn't hold the candle to the full spectrum and then it doesn't even begin to describe the scope of products we're talking about. We basically would have isolate tincture gummies and maybe topical products, creams. - Baby. - That's it. - Baby. - Mm-hmm. - Yeah. Okay, so this amendment wouldn't not only ban potentially impairing products, but like I said, full spectrum. 90 to 95% of hemp products on the market would be federally banned and if it passes with the Appropriations bill before October 1st, okay? We just had July 1st, October 1st, the beginning of the fiscal year for 2025. Even animal feed, which has been approved by the FDA for animal feed uses. The only thing about cannabis FDA approved, it would also include that and redefining hemp to include a calculation of THCA that would wreak havoc on even the fiber and grain market. So you can go to hemp supporter.com, hemp supporter.com or Google the US hemp round table. I get that their newsletter. There's also the US hemp authority. They put out a newsletter and have similar ways. You can go on hemp supporter.com, put in your zip code and it will tell you exactly who you need to talk to as it pertains to this bill and others and then give you a form letter. - Yes, it is in the letter for you. - Right, and you can add your own words. Like I always go on the form letter and say I am a hemp retailer in the state of Alabama since 2018, blah, blah, blah and add my two cents because I don't want them to think we're all just sending form letters. However, if you don't have the words, send the form letter. They need to have thousands of emails is all that matters. That's all that matters is no on Mary Miller Amendment. We need to flood them. So, like I said, if it passes through the appropriations bill, the new fiscal year begins October 1st. I am not prepared for that. I'm not prepared for it to pass in either situation, whether it's now or in six months or a year. Let's skip over that topic altogether. But basically anything that has any amount, they're talking about calling it diet, weed, marijuana, light, gas station, pot and you and I both know where all of the bad actors come from, right? The bad actors that are selling, like I said, like that lady that is a regular customer, she bought gummies across town thinking they were the same thing 'cause surely it's all the same. And ended up five hours away on the side of the highway, no idea how she got there. That's dangerous, or kids getting a hold to a thousand, anyone getting a hold of a thousand milligram gummy. Half the time, people tell you, oh yeah, my friend gave me a gummy, no idea what's in it. That's how scared people are of done from weed 'cause they know it can't kill you. It might make you have a bad time. But you know. - That's how we end up with all the bogus data statistics say and X, Y, Z and all the people. - Well, it's all about public safety, public safety, public safety. And I would say this, if you buy something else harmful like a pack of cigarettes or a fifth of vodka and you use the whole pack or the whole bottle at one time or half of it, that's gonna be a bad day. That could kill you, something of the alcohol, I could, more than two shots than I'd be dead in a ditch, baby girl, I don't drink. But seriously, a single bottle of alcohol, if you use it in two excess will hurt you at the very least. It could kill you, you know? And so now they're, you know, you can still buy your gas station beer and your gas station, erectile dysfunction and speed capsules. You know, no one's worried about that. But I mean, I've been in business, I have been in business staring down the barrel of six years now. And then for almost a year exactly before that, before I started Canabema. And I have had a couple of people come in and say they had a bad experience. But they always will say, Jenny, you tried to warn me. You told me only have half or only have one piece out of the whole chocolate bar and I ate the whole thing and I'll never do that again. But you tried to warn me. - Well, right. Anybody with half a conscience, if you carry something that's so excessively strong, I just got some in the mail the other day, 15,000 milligrams of THC in a bottle that is somehow legal. And I'm like, there's no way I would put this in my store. Nobody needs, nobody needs the, you rush dollars, dollars over here saying, give it to me. Oh, I did give it to you. (laughing) I did give it to him. (laughing) Well, so yeah, I mean, I don't really have anything else to add. We have beat this subject like a dead horse, just like the vape bill. I just wanna encourage people that this is real, like this is happening. And some of you may not think it's that big of a loss. I know my friend Kimberly is listening and I know she would be devastated because she doesn't wanna go on steroid shots and pain pills to treat her knee and leg pain. She wants her full spectrum CBD. I know you don't. I don't. I'm 10 years clean in October. You know, we don't want that. Anyway, contact us hemp roundtable, hip supporter.com, follow us and we'll give you all the contact information for you to let the state and the federal government know exactly what you think about what is going on. And as always, you can join us every Monday night right here on Sweet Home, Canada. Melissa, thank you so much for being with us. And you guys follow Mullins Lobbyist firm and Alabamians for medical cannabis freedom and of course the lovely Melissa Mullins herself. And you can follow me @cannabemajin on Instagram and @sweethomecannabemma on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Yeah, so get with us and we'll see you next week on Sweet Home, Canada. Good night. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)