A social media post claiming that a new Alabama law will require teachers to report children who smell of marijuana beginning Oct. 1, 2026, is false.

The graphic, which has been widely shared online, states that teachers and other mandatory reporters will be required to report a child to the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) if the child smells of marijuana. It also claims smoking or vaping marijuana in a vehicle with a child present will become a Class A misdemeanor.

However, those provisions were included in House Bill 72, a proposal introduced during the 2026 Alabama Legislative Session that never became law.

The bill passed the Alabama House of Representatives on Jan. 29, 2026, but did not receive final approval from the Alabama Senate before the legislative session concluded. Because it did not pass both chambers of the Legislature or receive the governor’s signature, it was not enacted into law.

As a result, there is no Alabama law scheduled to take effect on Oct. 1, 2026, requiring mandatory reporters to notify DHR solely because a child smells of marijuana.