Georgia House Passes Hemp Possession and Licensing Legislation

Regulations hashing out who can possess hemp are taking shape in Georgia. Legalizing hemp in the state left a lot of questions. House Bill 847 will require those wishing to cultivate or process hemp to have a license. A valid hemp license will be required for those that cultivate or process hemp to possess it.

There won’t be any criminal penalties for those possessing hemp that are not licensed under this legislation, AJC reports. Much of the confusion in deciphering hemp from marijuana is the lack of proper testing equipment in the state. The state still lacks necessary equipment to determine the exact percentage of THC in “leafy green substances” and can still only detect the presence of THC.

House Bill 847 aligns Georgia’s regulations with federal regulations. It passed in a vote of 157-9. It’s headed to the Georgia Senate. If approved by the Senate, it will be delivered to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.