Committee rejects hemp beverage limits in close vote; industry warns ban would push product underground

The House Regulated Industries Committee failed to pass a committee substitute that would impose stricter limits and labelling requirements on consumable hemp products, including a proposed 5 milligram limit per 12‑ounce hemp beverage and a requirement that packaging warn consumers that the product can impair driving.

Chair introduced the committee substitute and explained it would address total THC concentration (including synthetic isomers such as delta‑8/delta‑10) and require labeling advising that consumption can impair the ability to operate a vehicle. Angela Holland, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, testified that if the substitute were interpreted as a ban it would push products into an unregulated black market and harm legitimate retailers who had only recently come into compliance under the Department of Agriculture's rules.

Committee members raised public‑safety concerns about impairment and the absence of a reliable roadside test for THC; one member observed that THC metabolites can remain detectable long after impairment has passed. Members also debated equivalencies between THC milligrams and alcoholic-drink units when considering appropriate potency limits.

A motion to pass the substitute was made and seconded. The committee vote failed (5 opposed, 4 in favor); the chair said he would "vote to tie" so the measure remains alive and will be reconsidered in a future meeting. The committee adjourned without adopting the proposed limits.

Clarifying details from testimony included the Department of Agriculture's recent regulatory work (including testing and labelling standards) and industry statements that the market had been unregulated until recent statutes and that enforcement and transparency reduce risks to consumers.