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

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is interviewed during a live-to-tape recording of the Politically Georgia podcast at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2025. (Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she is resigning from Congress

The Rome Republican recently became the latest target of President Donald Trump’s ire.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s path, MAGA powerhouse to sudden resignation announcement

What to know about the rise and resignation of Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green.

House ethics committee weighs complaint regarding Mike Collins, chief of staff

The U.S. House Committee of Ethics has received a complaint regarding U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and his chief of staff.

The Latest

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is interviewed during a live-to-tape recording of the Politically Georgia podcast at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2025. (Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she is resigning from Congress

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s path, MAGA powerhouse to sudden resignation announcement

House ethics committee weighs complaint regarding Mike Collins, chief of staff

Featured

Tracy Woodard from InTown Cares (left) and Lauren Hopper from Mercy Care organization work with residents at the Copperton Street encampment in August 2024. (Miguel Martinez / AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez

‘Worst nightmares come true.’ Atlanta confronts shift in homelessness funding.

Trump’s overhaul threatens permanent housing for an estimated 600 Atlanta households and 170,000 people nationwide, advocates warn.

Microsoft’s newest AI ‘superfactory’ opens at sprawling Fayetteville campus

One of the largest data center campuses under construction in Georgia has its first operational tenant, and it’s one of the most recognizable names in technology.

Atlanta officials quietly rebrand city’s DEI office

The city of Atlanta office overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion is getting a rebrand amid assaults at the federal level on such initiatives.