Georgia consumable hemp laws: age 21, THCA and SB 494

The law in Georgia

Georgia's Hemp Farming Act, in Title 2, Chapter 23 of the Georgia Code, was rewritten for consumer products by SB 494 in 2024 (Act 498, signed April 30, 2024). Most of it took effect October 1, 2024.

Hemp is measured by total delta-9 THC, which counts THCA (THCA times 0.877, plus delta-9 THC). The limit is the lesser of 0.3 percent or the percentage set in the federal hemp definition. Because Georgia takes the lesser figure, its definition follows a stricter federal limit on its own.

A consumable hemp product is one meant to be eaten, absorbed or inhaled, by people or animals. The Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates growing, processing, manufacturing and sale.

Age 21

It is unlawful to sell or give a consumable hemp product to anyone under 21, and for anyone under 21 to buy, try to buy or possess one. Sellers must check ID when age is in reasonable doubt, and every store must post: "Sale of consumable hemp products to individuals under 21 years of age is prohibited by law."

Lab reports, labels and packaging

• Lab report. A product may be sold only if a full panel certificate of analysis from the last 12 months, from an ISO-accredited lab not affiliated with the maker, is public. It must report THC, CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBGA, CBN and HHC and contaminants.
• Label. Each product carries a sticker approved by the Department warning that it contains THC, and a label or QR code with the lab data.
• Packaging. Child resistant and tamper evident, not attractive to children, and not resembling a widely sold candy, snack or other food.

Food, drinks and licenses

No consumable hemp product may be sold as, or as part of, a food product or an alcoholic drink. The law states that this does not bar hemp in gummies or consumable base oils.

Retail stores need a Department of Agriculture license for each location ($250 a year), and selling to Georgia consumers without one is a misdemeanor. Wholesalers, manufacturers and labs are licensed or registered too. Since July 1, 2024, no new hemp store may open within 500 feet of a K-12 school.

2025 and 2026

No change to Georgia's hemp rules was enacted in 2025 or 2026. SB 254, which would have set milligram limits, passed the Senate and stalled in a House committee. SB 33 carried a hemp title, but the Senate replaced its text with a property tax bill, and the law it became, Act 461, says nothing about hemp.

The federal change on December 11

From December 11, 2026, the federal definition counts total THC and limits a finished hemp-derived cannabinoid product to 0.4 mg per container. Read the federal page and What's changing on December 11. Georgia's rules on mushroom spores are covered on the spores page.

Products with no THC fall outside the federal change: broad spectrum and isolate CBD, THC-free topicals and functional mushrooms.