Alabama Cannabis Coalition Endorses Randall Woodfin for Mayor of Birmingham

The Alabama Cannabis Coalition (ACC) has endorsed incumbent Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin for reelection in the August 26 Municipal Election.

In a statement accompanying the endorsement, the ACC stated that:

“Mayor Woodfin has been a courageous, bold and staunch supporter of Cannabis advocacy in the City of Birmingham since he pardoned 15,000 convicted of Cannabis possession on April 20, 2021.

“Most recently he stood in solidarity with the citizens of Alabama and the businesses of the Alabama Hemp Industry after the destructive legislation, AL HB445/2025 passed the Alabama Legislature on May 6, 2025, that dismantled the Alabama Hemp Industry. Mayor Randall Woodfin deserves your vote and your support.’

On April 20, 2021, Woodfin issued blanket pardons to 15,000 people convicted of marijuana possession in municipal court between 1990 and 2020. The mayor also posted a tweet urging the State of Alabama to do the same.

“These pardons are a strong start, but our work is far from done,” Woodfin tweeted. “Join me in telling the State of Alabama to completely decriminalize marijuana.”

In a Facebook post on May 7, 2025, Woodfin called on Governor Kay Ivey to veto HB445, saying:

Alabama House Bill 445 is a step backwards and harmful to small businesses in Birmingham.

Instead of moving us closer to justice and equity, this bill risks dragging us back to an era of cannabis criminalization, overregulation, and lost opportunity.

Birmingham has led the way in cannabis reform and giving people a second chance. Through Pardons for Progress, we’ve pardoned over 15,000 residents with low-level marijuana convictions — because we believe nobody should be held back in life over something that should have never been criminal in the first place.

HB445 threatens that progress. By limiting access to legal hemp products, burdening small businesses with excessive restrictions, and imposing punitive taxes, this bill doesn’t just regulate — it criminalizes.

It locks out entrepreneurs, particularly Black and brown business owners who are often first to be policed and last to get licensed. It creates barriers where we should be building bridges — to opportunity, to equity, and to public health solutions that actually work.

Alabama should be investing in the future of this industry — not regulating it into irrelevance. We can and must craft smarter laws that protect consumers, ensure safety, and grow our economy without resurrecting the failed policies of the past.

I urge Governor Kay Ivey to veto HB445.

Woodfin is one of several candidates vying for the Birmingham Mayor’s position. For more information, go to RandallWoodfin.com.

For more information on the Alabama Cannabis Coalition, follow them on Facebook.