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\u201cWe regulate tobacco, we regulate alcohol, we regulate food, yet we\u2019ve got a ton of these products out there now that we\u2019re not regulating.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n By Chaya Tong, Georgia Recorder<\/strong><\/p>\n A bill regulating hemp products, licensing and restricting their purchase to customers 21 and older awaits its fate on Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s (R) desk after state lawmakers successfully passed it during this year\u2019s legislative session.<\/p>\n The bill, related to \u201cThe Georgia Hemp Farming Act\u201d and sponsored by Sen. Sam Watson (R-Moultrie), would require testing for all hemp-derived products, including CBD and delta-8 edibles and drinks, and prohibit sales to minors. The Senate sent the bill to the governor late in the session, and he has until May 7 to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without taking action.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce the General Assembly adjourns, the Governor has 40 days to act on legislation. During that time, all bills that reached final passage undergo a thorough review process,\u201d the governor\u2019s spokesperson Garrison Douglas said in a statement.<\/p>\n Watson says the bill is a step forward in consumer protection, treating hemp products the same as any other food product in the state.<\/p>\n \u201cWe regulate tobacco, we regulate alcohol, we regulate food, yet we\u2019ve got a ton of these products out there now that we\u2019re not regulating as a state to protect the people of our state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The new age restrictions will help protect children from accidentally consuming marijuana products, Watson said.<\/p>\n \u201cKids go into these gas stations and buy gas and this stuff is being sold and nobody knows what\u2019s in it and nobody\u2019s checking it and that\u2019s just scary,\u201d Watson added.<\/p>\n Opponents of the bill are urging Gov. Kemp to stop it from becoming law.<\/p>\n Gaylord Lopez, executive director of the Georgia Poison Center, said that in the past three years, the center has received more than 260 calls from children falling ill from delta-8.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really disappointed in where this bill ended up going,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat our legislators have done is basically legalize the sale of marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n While the bill<\/a> prohibits sales to Georgians under 21 and requires better labeling, it does not prevent the synthetic manipulation of hemp that creates derivatives such as delta-8 or delta-10, Lopez said, citing language in the bill that allows for the sale of hemp derivatives including flowers or leaves.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a bill that helps protect consumers. This continues to allow dangerous products that contain THC, that cause psychoactive effects, and are causing children to be poisoned,\u201d Lopez added.<\/p>\n From the cannabis industry itself, organizations like Georgia Medical Cannabis Society are also asking Kemp to veto the bill. Yolanda Bennett, co-founder of the society, said that increased cannabis regulation and testing will shut down mom and pop shops.<\/p>\n \u201cConsumers won\u2019t be able to afford it, retailers won\u2019t be able to afford to eat the product on shelves, processors [will] be run out of business and farmers will end up growing other crops and leave the hemp,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The bill would also close the so-called THC-A loophole by including it in testing, which would limit the medical marijuana industry.<\/p>\n \u2014 Opponents also worry about law enforcement\u2019s reaction to the bill if the governor signs it.<\/p>\n Tom Church, an Atlanta criminal defense attorney who represents hemp vendors, says one concern about the bill is that sheriffs will go rogue and prosecute legal CBD sellers like back alley drug dealers.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired of seeing normal business folks, law abiding citizens, charged and treated like marijuana dealers under the law,\u201d Church said.<\/p>\n Watson said that the bill is just the first step in legislation regulating hemp in Georgia.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Lopez urges the Legislature to close loopholes allowing hemp derivatives to hit the market.<\/p>\n \u201cOur legislators are our ardent fans of not legalizing marijuana. Well, when you tell them hemp can be converted into marijuana, no one seems to be listening,\u201d Lopez said. \u201cWe need to get them more aware. Poisonings will continue to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was first published by Georgia Recorder.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Time To Regulate Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids More Like Marijuana, Physician Advocacy Group Says<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Georgia Bill That Would Regulate Hemp Products Like CBD And Delta-8 THC Awaits Action On Governor\u2019s Desk<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe regulate tobacco, we regulate alcohol, we regulate food, yet we\u2019ve got a ton of these products out there now that we\u2019re not regulating.\u201d By Chaya Tong, Georgia Recorder A bill regulating hemp products, licensing and restricting their purchase to customers 21 and older awaits its fate on Gov. BrianContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":457,"featured_media":74594,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74593"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/457"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74593"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74595,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74593\/revisions\/74595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: Georgia Bill That Would Regulate Hemp Products Like CBD And Delta-8 THC Awaits Action On Governor\u2019s Desk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"