Three months ago, Top Shelf Alternatives in Opelika was just another small business following the law and trying to survive while meeting the demands of customers.
Now owner Bradley Haddon is looking at $6,200 remaining in the business bank account as he makes what could be a final plea to the Opelika City Council to approve a license to allow him to resume business.
The circumstances are an outcome of HB445, legislation passed last year by Alabama lawmakers that harshly tightened regulations on hemp products and also created licensing requirements beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The law shuttered hemp businesses across the state as it wasn't possible to obtain a license from the ABC board before the cutoff date. Few standalone hemp stores have received their licenses a fourth of a way through the new year.
Read more on Alabama Political Reporter
