Five years ago marked the beginning of a new era in Cullman with the return of legal alcohol sales.

Prohibition had been in place more than 70 years because the public was generally tired of some problems associated with alcohol and prevailing thought that society was generally in better condition without the presence of potentially intoxicating spirits. Cullman didn’t fold up without legal sales and maintained a vibrant community both socially and economically.

Nonetheless, the march of time brought a new perspective on legal sales. Illegal sales of alcohol presented moral issues for the community as minors had more access to beer and liquor. Adults were also driving out of town to purchase alcohol, carrying with them a lot of business on trips to restaurants and stores where alcohol was sold legally.

Some citizens resisted the push for renewed legal sales on moral grounds. But the logic of going back to legal sales was itself moral, not an invitation to the devil. Many Cullman residents were realizing that the lack of control over alcohol was presenting more problems than good in recent years. Bootlegging, loss of business and easier access for underaged people needed to be addressed.

Legal sales came back with an extraordinary matureness. City leaders established reasonable, thoughtful guidelines for selling alcoholic beverages. The ordinance keeps rowdy honky tonks out of the community and restaurants and stores have clear rules. During the five years since legalization returned, the area has not experienced a dramatic rise in alcohol-related problems. The city also gives a generous portion of the revenue from legal sales to mental health and other valuable community services.

Good Hope and Hanceville soon brought legal sales to their cities. Moving forward, the community has witnessed a major surge in investments by retail companies, bringing new stores and greater variety to the commercial setting of the area. These advances in the shopping climate were among the reasons for returning to legal sales. The new investments have brought jobs, increased revenue for community services and legal control to the alcohol trade, which is the best approach to controlling how it can be used and in protecting young people.

Legal sales are just one part of the community’s positive direction over the last five years. Nevertheless, the decision by the public to take control of the issue has opened doors to new opportunities and placed legal control directly in the hands of a thoughtful, careful community and its leaders.