Jul. 17—An Athens woman was arrested last week for possessing smokeable hemp, seven days after Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law making it a Class C felony, according to a complaint filed Thursday by Athens police.
Mary Natasa Lashonta Noble, 26, faces additional charges of possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of marijuana after her arrest July 7.
According to the complaint, Noble was stopped near U.S. 72 and Cloverleaf Drive and was found with seven Delta-9 pre-roll joints and a Delta THC vape pen.
Noble was arrested again Wednesday for a probation revocation related to a previous first-degree burglary case, according to court records. She was also charged with resisting arrest, attempting to elude law enforcement and obstructing justice by using a false identity. Court records show Noble pleaded guilty to the burglary charge in August 2024 and received a 15-year suspended sentence with three years of probation.
She remained in Limestone County Jail on Thursday with no bond.
On July 1, Ivey signed House Bill 445 into law, banning smokeable hemp and synthetic cannabinoids such as Delta-8, placing a 10 mg THC-per-serving limit on edibles, adding a 10% excise tax and shifting licensing and enforcement to the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Possession of banned products now carries a Class C felony charge under state law, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
In Alabama, possession of marijuana for personal use is a Class A misdemeanor for first-time offenses.
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.