A medical marijuana bill grew from 12 to 54 pages on the floor of the Georgia House, a drastic rewriting of the legislation as representatives seek ways to increase transparency and expand the number of producers.

The bill’s fate was uncertain Wednesday night after the House voted 154-13 to approve a new version of the proposal, sending it back to the state Senate.

State Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, speaks about HB 196 at the House of Representatives in Atlanta on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The bill aims to expand medical marijuana production, increase transparency and end lawsuits. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

icon to expand image

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Senate leaders oppose expanding the medical marijuana program as envisioned by the House. Senators have backed greater transparency when companies bid for production licenses, but they’ve resisted awarding additional licenses.

Two companies are planning to begin selling medical marijuana as soon as June.

- LIVE: Watch streams of the Georgia House and Senate

About the Author

Keep Reading

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, attends the Gaza International Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt with, from left, Paraguay's President Santiago Pena, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.  Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)