While state officials and agencies continue working around the clock with local and federal partners to support Georgians recovering from Hurricane Helene, Governor Brian Kemp, Commissioner Tyler Harper and Colonel Billy Hitchens also issued the following statement to remind relevant parties that the Georgia Hemp Farming Act, which places public safety restrictions on hemp products manufactured and sold in Georgia, will become effective tomorrow on October 1.

The General Assembly passed the Georgia Hemp Farming Act in March, and the majority of the bill will go into effect on 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.

All residents and visitors of Georgia, along with all Georgia law enforcement officials, are reminded that as of October 1, it is 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. 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 Governor 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 1st.  I’m grateful to the General Assembly for passing this legislation that puts in place necessary guardrails to protect Georgia’s children and communities as this industry evolves and want to thank the Department of Agriculture and all public safety agencies across Georgia for working hard to implement this new framework effectively.”

“Our team at the Georgia Department of Agriculture was proud to work with Governor Kemp, the General Assembly, and other Law Enforcement Agencies from across the state to protect Georgia consumers and children by establishing much-needed guardrails for consumable hemp products in our state,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “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.”

“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 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.

State law enforcement agencies encourage all citizens and public safety officers to review these new restrictions, as well as the rules proposed by Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper that provide comprehensive standards for hemp production and product testing. 

A copy of the Georgia Hemp Farming Act can be found here. A link to the proposed Department of Agriculture rules regarding hemp can be found here.

The Georgia Hemp Farming Act is administered separately from and does not impact Georgia’s medical cannabis program. For those patients with qualifying medical conditions, information on Georgia’s Low-THC Oil registry can be found here.