There is a lot of confusion in this committee because we are looking at two very different policies.
By Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder
Georgia legislators will likely place medical cannabis and hemp recreational high up on their list of priorities when they convene again in January 2026 for the legislative session.
On Tuesday, members of a House committee committed to researching the impacts of cannabis consumption met for the first time at the Capitol.
In the months leading up to October, three more hearings will take place to compare Georgia’s laws on marijuana with other states and to look at medical research.
The committee, which is composed of lawmakers, agency leaders, medical professionals and everyday citizens, will study two distinct policy subsets: Medical cannabis, which is administered through Georgia’s Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, and commercial hemp products, which are regulated through the federal 2018 Farm Bill and the Georgia Hemp Farming Act.
Mark Newton is a state representative from Augusta, Georgia, and a doctor who chairs this committee. “There are some blurrings in this committee. This happens because, really, we’re looking into two different policy,” Mark Newton said. We’re given two different areas to work on in this Blue Ribbon committee: hemp and medical marijuana.
Bills related to medical cannabis and hemp beverages became a focal point during the 2025 session, which also marked the 10-year anniversary of Haleigh’s Hope Act. It created the licensing committee, made low-THC oils legal for the first in Georgia, and established a research program to study the effects of the drug. The law allowed for the production and sale of the oil by companies in Georgia. But advocates say that the current Georgia laws don’t go far enough in helping patients get the medical cannabis they need.
According to the most recent data released by the Georgia Department of Public Health, the low-THC program has experienced a steady but incremental growth. Currently, there are over 33700 patients, 2300 caregivers, and 700 doctors enrolled. More than 75% of the patients on this list have been diagnosed with post-traumatic shock and intractable chronic pain. Patients with cancer, seizures, Parkinson’s, and other conditions are also eligible.
Georgia’s enrollment is also dwarfed by the numbers of other Southern States like Mississippi and Louisiana. Despite having smaller populations, their enrollment is closer to 50 000.
During the last session of the Legislature, at least four bills were presented on medical cannabis products and hemp. However none was able to pass both chambers.
On the Senate’s side, members of the Study Committee on Intoxicating Cannabinoids In Consumable Hemp Product will address the question of how to regulate recreational products such as THC-infused beverages, which, while chemically identical to medical marijuana, are more widely available for consumers due to the fact that they are covered by the 2018 Farm Bill federal law and the Georgia Hemp Farming Act. This committee’s first public meeting has not yet been announced.
The House committee Next meeting is scheduled for August 21, 2018 in Augusta.
This story was first published by Georgia Recorder.
Photograph courtesy Max Pixel.
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