Kemp signs bill allowing hemp farming in Georgia

Gov. Brian Kemp made it legal Friday for farmers to grow hemp in Georgia.

Kemp signed into law a bill that allows hemp crops, which can be used to make CBD oil, rope and other items.

CBD oil is already a popular product sold in Georgia, but it's currently imported from other states. Once the state government creates regulations, CBD can be manufactured in-state by farmers who receive a hemp growing license, which costs $50 per acre annually.

>> Bill Tracker: See which bills Gov. Kemp has signed, vetoed

Besides Georgia, 41 states have hemp programs. Kemp signed House Bill 213 during a ceremony in Lake Park in South Georgia.

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. CBD may contain no more than 0.3% THC.

Kemp previously signed a separate measure that allows cultivation and sales of medical marijuana oil, which contains up to 5% THC and can be used by registered patients.

About the Author

Mark Niesse

Mark Niesse covers voting rights and elections for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He also reports on the Georgia House of Representatives and government. He has been a reporter at the AJC since 2013 following a decade at The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Ala.