Challenges with GA Cannabis Legislation
Authored by: Theresa Yarbrough

             Challenges with SB 220: The “Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act”

             SB 220 was designed to expand corporate marijuana access, but it also created market imbalances that hurt the hemp industry:

•   Increased THC Limits: The bill raised the THC cap for corporate marijuana from 5% to 50%, making corporate marijuana products significantly stronger.

•   SB 220 boosted corporate marijuana access while weakening hemp’s position, making it harder for small businesses to thrive.

• Expanded Patient Eligibility: Conditions like lupus and inflammatory bowel disease were added, and the requirement for conditions like cancer and Parkinson’s disease to be “severe or end-stage” was removed.

• Strengthened Opposition to Hemp: While SB 220 benefited corporate marijuana, it also shifted legislative focus away from hemp: Lawmakers prioritized expanding corporate marijuana while simultaneously restricting hemp, leading to an 80% drop in sales for many hemp retailers.

• Shifted Advocates focus away from hemp: Lawmakers prioritized expanding corporate marijuana while simultaneously restricting hemp, leading to an 80% drop in sales for many hemp retailers

• Corporate marijuana monopoly expanded, but hemp was systematically restricted—creating an unfair playing field.
  
  Challenges with SB 420: Hemp Industry Regulations

•   SB 420 introduced new restrictions on hemp-derived products, further tightening regulations on delta-8, delta-10, and THC-infused beverages:
    Stricter Testing & Labeling: Hemp products now face random state inspections and must meet new chemical purity standards.

• THC Limits on Hemp Products: Gummies were capped at 10 mg per serving, tinctures at 1 mg per milliliter, and an attempt was made to ban THC-infused drinks entirely.

• Retailers and consumers faced mounting challenges, while corporate marijuana expanded unrestricted.

• These restrictions led to an 80% drop in sales for many hemp retailers, forcing businesses to close or relocate.

   

  Challenges with SB 494: The Hemp Ban

  • Redefinition of Hemp – SB 494 attempted to redefine the federal definition of hemp, targeting THCa and other cannabinoids that were previously legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.

  • Ban on Smokable Hemp Flower – Prohibited the sale of raw cannabis flower, regardless of THC content, removing one of the most versatile and preferred hemp products.

  • Economic Impact – Led to a more than 80% drop in sales for hemp retailers, further destabilizing the industry and forcing many businesses to close or relocate.

  • Consumer Limitations – Restricted access to safe, regulated hemp products, pushing consumers toward out-of-state markets or the black market.

        SB 494’s restrictions hurt small businesses, reduced consumer choice, and undermined Georgia’s ability to compete in the hemp industry.

      How SB 220 Shifted Advocate Focus Away from SB 494 & Divided Georgia’s                Cannabis Community

                When SB 220 took center stage, the fight to protect Georgia’s hemp industry under SB 494 was sidelined, creating deep fractures within the cannabis                  advocacy movement. Instead of working toward a fair playing field across all cannabis sectors, many advocates focused solely on advancing                                  corporate-backed medical marijuana, leaving hemp businesses to fend for themselves.

                 ✔ Legislative Priorities Changed – Lawmakers and advocates focused on expanding medical cannabis, leaving hemp industry protections                                        overlooked.                 

                 ✔ Corporate Marijuana Advocates Aligned with Corporate Interests – Some cannabis reform groups prioritized SB 220, unintentionally weakening                        opposition to SB 494.

                 ✔ Hemp Industry Betrayed & Left Defenseless – As SB 220 consumed legislative focus, hemp retailers and supply chains were abandoned, stripped                       of  critical advocacy. The result? SB 494’s crushing restrictions remained intact, leaving small hemp businesses to collapse, patients without options,                   and consumers forced into the black market.

                While the corporate marijuana monopoly  gained ground, hemp retailers are still suffering under SB 494’s bans and restrictions.

       Exposing the Corporate Cannabis Monopoly

                This wasn’t just negligence—it was a calculated dismantling of Georgia’s hemp industry. Legislators deliberately engineered the downfall of                                    independent hemp businesses, clearing the path for corporate marijuana expansion while enforcing bans and restrictions on hemp-derived products.

                ✔ Legislation Was Weaponized – While corporate marijuana, disguised as Medical, THC limits increased to 50%, intoxicating hemp was criminalized,                    forcing small retailers to shut down, take their sales online, or relocate. 

                ✔ Hemp Businesses Were Sacrificed for Profit – Corporate cannabis interests lobbied for restrictive laws, ensuring their own expansion while                                suffocating competition.

                ✔ Consumers Were Stripped of Choice – Patients, adult-use consumers, and retailers lost access to safe, legal hemp-derived alternatives, pushing                        them toward the black market or out-of-state vendors.

               🚨 This wasn’t regulation—it was an intentional power grab. The corporate cannabis lobby dictated policy, legislators complied, and small businesses                    paid the price.

      The Crushing Pressure Facing Georgia’s Hemp Industry 

               Georgia’s hemp businesses are under siege—caught between unfair legislation, corporate monopolies, and economic devastation. These small                               retailers, farmers, and processors are being squeezed out of existence, left with impossible choices: fight against restrictive policies, relocate out of                    state, or shut down entirely.