A Georgia hemp industry that has been manufacturing and selling hemp products virtually unfettered since Congress legalized it six years ago is about to get some significant regulation.
Legislation the General Assembly passed this year that takes effect Oct. 1 will prohibit retailers from selling hemp products to anyone under the age of 21 and impose labeling, packaging, and testing requirements on manufacturers.
"[Congress] left it pretty open-ended," said state Sen. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, who introduced Senate Bill 494. "There's no regulatory environment around it. ... It's a consumer-protection bill."
The bill, which the legislature passed overwhelmingly in March, requires hemp growers, manufacturers, and retailers to obtain licenses and pay a licensing fee. Violators will be subject to criminal misdemeanor charges and civil penalties.
Read more at The Union-Recorder.