During the 2024 session of the General Assembly lawmakers passed the Georgia Hemp Farming Act – and many portions of the bill went into effect on Tuesday (October 1). The law imposes age restrictions on the possession of consumable hemp products and requires consumable hemp retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to obtain a license to operate in Georgia, among other testing and regulatory requirements.
According to information from Gov. Brian Kemp, all residents and visitors of Georgia, along with all Georgia law enforcement officials, of October 1, it is now a crime to sell consumable hemp products to persons under the age of 21. It is also illegal to purchase or possess consumable hemp products if you are under the age of 21. Kemp emphasized that these new restrictions will be strongly enforced throughout the state to protect the health and safety of young Georgians.
“Here in Georgia, the safety of our residents is top priority, especially that of our children and young people,” said Kemp. “Consumable hemp products are dangerous to minors and unregulated hemp products are a danger to all Georgians. Knowing these dangers, I want consumers to be aware of these new laws and know that all law enforcement officers in the State will be enforcing them starting October 1.”
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper stressed that the new laws are designed to protect Georgia consumers and children by establishing much-needed guardrails for consumable hemp products in our state.
“The laws regarding under 21 sales and the sale of raw flower products are very straightforward and will be strictly enforced by our Law Enforcement and Hemp Program Divisions as well as other state and local law enforcement starting October 1st,” said Harper.
The new law implements necessary public safety measures that are a result of Congress legalizing hemp production in the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp is a cannabis plant that naturally contains small amounts of the psychoactive cannabinoid delta-9 THC, along with other natural cannabinoids that may be used for medicinal purposes. In recent years, consumable hemp products like oils, gummies, and beverages have been sold throughout the state with little oversight, no standard for quality control, and few requirements for labeling products.
“Through our traffic enforcement across Georgia, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is committed to applying the new law set by the General Assembly and strongly supported by Governor Kemp regarding limitations placed on consumable hemp products,” said Colonel William W. Hitchens, III, DPS Commissioner. “We take the safety of our residents and visitors seriously and will carry out our duties which will include enforcing the restrictions set by the Georgia Hemp Farming Act.”
The Georgia Hemp Farming Act is administered separately from and does not impact Georgia’s medical cannabis program.
