Committee trims hemp‑beverage THC limit, removes liquor‑store sales provision and advances HB 34

The Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee on Wednesday approved a substitute to House Bill 34 that lowers the allowed intoxicating cannabinoid level for hemp beverages from 10 milligrams to 5 milligrams per 12‑ounce serving and requires a consumer warning that the product “may impair the ability to operate a motor vehicle.” (Chair S1)

The measure, as passed by the committee, also deletes a provision that would have authorized sale of some hemp beverages in liquor stores. A member moved to delete that section; Senator Albers (S3) seconded the amendment and it passed on a committee count the chair recorded as five in favor and four opposed. The underlying substitute then cleared committee and the chair said the bill passes.

Why it matters: supporters framed the change as a consumer‑safety compromise that narrows the existing 10 mg allowance while providing an on‑package warning to prevent impaired driving. Opponents urged caution until a federal decision expected in November, and agriculture officials were described to the committee as opposed to the cut from 10 mg.

Committee debate focused on enforcement and federal alignment. Chair S1 told members the Agriculture Department opposed the bill and said federal rules to take effect Nov. 1 would impose a lower federal threshold (the transcript cites the federal level in different places as 0.4 milligrams and later as 4.4 milligrams per serving/container; that discrepancy was recorded in committee discussion). He said the warning label is intended to alert consumers that consuming the products before driving could “constitute a violation of the DUI statute.”

Senator Summers (S4) moved to table the bill until after the federal rule is final, arguing that the state should wait to avoid repeated statutory changes; that motion failed when the chair announced “the nays have it.” Senator Jones (S5) said he feared the changes could disadvantage some local businesses and argued at length that actions taken in other states were driven by commercial interests rather than child‑safety concerns: “It was all about money,” he said.

On enforcement, members noted that Georgia law (committee discussion referenced code citation 46‑3‑91(a)(6) in the transcript) allows prosecutors to consider detected THC in DUI cases and that field sobriety and newer saliva tests play a role in determining impairment. The chair emphasized the label’s purpose: to warn drivers that consuming hemp THC beverages “may impair the ability to operate a motor vehicle.”

The committee recorded votes on the amendment removing the liquor‑store provision and on the underlying substitute; the amendment passed and, after debate, the substitute to HB 34 passed the committee. The committee sent the measure forward for further consideration.

What’s next: The committee reported the bill; sponsors and staff indicated conforming edits will be made in legislative counsel and that the substitute will move to the next committee or floor as the process requires.