Hemp farming bill nears final passage from Georgia lawmakers
A bill allowing Georgia farmers to grow hemp for CBD oils and other products is one step from final approval.
The state House voted 151-5 on Friday to approve and amend the legislation, House Bill 213. The amended bill now heads back to the Senate for a last vote before the end of this year’s legislative session Tuesday.
Hemp is a member of the cannabis plant family, but unlike marijuana it includes only trace amounts of THC, the compound that gives marijuana its high.
Georgia would join 41 states that already have a hemp program. It's used to make CBD, which is legal in the United States if it contains less than 0.3 percent THC.
A separate bill is pending that would allow cultivation and sales of medical marijuana oil, which contains up to 5 percent THC and can be used by registered patients.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
