Politics
Politics

Bill to allow hemp cultivation in Georgia passes Legislature

Dozens of bills are in jeopardy on the final day of Georgia’s 2019 legislative session. House Bill 324 would allow up to 28 medical marijuana oil dispensaries and two growing operations. House Bill 228 would increase Georgia's minimum marriage age from 16 to 17. House Bill 345 would ban the practice of shackling pregnant inmates around their wrists, ankles and waists. Lawmakers are haggling over Senate Bill 131, which would create state oversight of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, among other th
By
April 2, 2019

The Georgia Senate on Tuesday approved a bill allowing farmers to grow hemp for CBD oils and other products. It now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp to decide whether to sign into law.

House Bill 213 passed both houses overwhelmingly, with a final vote of 51-4 in the Senate.

Live: Use AJC tracker to follow Georgia bills

ExplorePhotos: Sine Die at the Georgia legislature

Forty-one other states already permit hemp cultivation, according to the bill's sponsors. Rep. Robert Dickey, a peach grower and Republican from Musella called the bill "another tool in the belt of farmers that we can diversify."

ExploreREAD MORE: HB 213 passes Georgia House

About the Author

Ariel Hart is a reporter on health care issues. She works on the AJC’s health team and has reported on subjects including the Voting Rights Act and transportation.

More Stories

Keep Reading

A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial for Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on Wednesday, outside the Turning Point USA headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. The authorities had new leads on Thursday in their search for the person who shot and killed the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday. (Adriana Zehbrauskas/The New York Times)

Credit: NYT

OPINION

Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a watershed for Gen Z

Young people will always remember where they were when Charlie Kirk was shot. Let’s also make it the moment when everything changed.

Warnock: Political violence, hate speech could kill democracy

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning political violence one day after the death of Charlie Kirk.

What Tennessee fans think of their old coach, Derek Dooley, running for U.S. Senate

As their former head football coach, Derek Dooley, runs for Senate, most Tennessee fans in Georgia didn’t even know he was in the race.

The Latest

Derek Dooley wasn't very successful as football coach of the Tennessee Vols. He's hoping for better results in his campaign for U.S. Senate. (File 2012 AP)

Credit: AP

What Tennessee fans think of their old coach, Derek Dooley, running for U.S. Senate

Clark Dean preps outsider-themed GOP run for Georgia governor

Early voting begins for special state Senate runoff election

Featured

Delta employees are under investigation because of content “related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk” that “went well beyond healthy, respectful debate,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a companywide memo Friday. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Delta suspends employees for social posts related to Charlie Kirk’s killing

Delta joins a list of employers, including an NFL team and news network MSNBC, that have punished employees for posting inflammatory comments about Kirk’s death.

As Tech, UGA celebrate, a historic first for state’s Division I teams

All seven of the state's FBS and FBC teams — Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Mercer and West Georgia — prevailed Saturday.

Suspect arrested after North Georgia officer shot in line of duty

Capt. Brantley Worley remains in critical condition after incident in McCaysville, which is near the Georgia-Tennessee border.