---
title: SB 229. Alcoholic Beverages; the issuance of wholesale consumable hemp licenses to wholesale dealers of alcoholic beverages; prohibit
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb229
cite_as: SB 229, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb229
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb229.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb229/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70637
date: 2025-02-21
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb229.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 229
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-20
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Jason Anavitarte
- Russ Goodman
- Sam Watson
- Carden Summers
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB229/2025
upstream_id: 1978346
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- consumable hemp
- alcohol wholesalers
- hemp regulation
- alcoholic beverage licensing
---
# SB 229. Alcoholic Beverages; the issuance of wholesale consumable hemp licenses to wholesale dealers of alcoholic beverages; prohibit
## Text
Senate Bill 229
By: Senators Anavitarte of the 31st, Goodman of the 8th, Watson of the 11th and Summers
of the 13th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 23 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Georgia
Hemp Farming Act," and Chapter 3 of Title 3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to regulation of alcoholic beverages generally, so as to prohibit the issuance of
wholesale consumable hemp licenses to wholesale dealers of alcoholic beverages; to prohibit
wholesale dealers of alcoholic beverages from selling or otherwise distributing consumable
hemp products; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 23 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Georgia Hemp
Farming Act," is amended by revising Code Section 2-23-6.3, relating to wholesale
consumable hemp establishment licenses, as follows:
"2-23-6.3.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, consideration, issuance, and revocation
of wholesale consumable hemp licenses issued by the department pursuant to this Code
section shall be accomplished in accordance with Chapter 5 of this title, and such licenses
shall otherwise be governed by such chapter.
(b) Applications for a wholesale consumable hemp license shall be made on a form
furnished by the Commissioner and, together with such other information as the
Commissioner may require, shall state:
(1) The name of the applicant;
(2) The business address of the applicant;
(3) The complete telephone number and email address of the applicant;
(4) The location of the facility where the applicant will store consumable hemp products
and otherwise operate as a wholesaler of consumable hemp products in this state and
whether such facility is owned or leased by the applicant; and
(5) If the applicant is a business entity, the name of the owners, partners, members, or
shareholders of such entity.
(c) Wholesale consumable hemp licenses shall be issued by the department for one
calendar year at an annual licensing fee of at least $500.00 but not more than $10,000.00,
as established by the Commissioner. The Commissioner may establish separate classes of
wholesale consumable hemp licenses based on the amount of consumable hemp products
to be sold by the licensee, and the annual licensing fees required by this subsection shall
be in different amounts for each such separate class of wholesale consumable hemp
licenses.
(d) Wholesale consumable hemp licenses issued by the department pursuant to this Code
section shall be issued in connection with a single facility where the licensee will store
consumable hemp products or otherwise operate as a wholesaler of consumable hemp
products. For a person to store consumable hemp products or otherwise operate as a
wholesaler of consumable hemp products at multiple facilities, such person shall be
required to obtain from the department separate wholesale consumable hemp licenses for
each such facility.
(e) No wholesale consumable hemp license shall be issued by the department pursuant to
this Code section to any person that is a licensed wholesale dealer of alcoholic beverages
under the provisions of Title 3 or to any person that is affiliated with such a licensed
wholesale dealer."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 3 of Title 3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to regulation of
alcoholic beverages generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"3-3-35.
No licensed wholesale dealer shall sell or otherwise distribute consumable hemp products,
as such term is defined in Code Section 2-23-3."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate bill would bar wholesale alcoholic beverage dealers, and businesses affiliated with them, from getting state licenses to sell consumable hemp products, and would ban them from distributing hemp products at all.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia currently issues separate wholesale licenses for consumable hemp products (things like hemp-derived drinks and edibles) and for alcoholic beverages. Some alcohol wholesalers have also sought hemp wholesale licenses to distribute both kinds of products. This bill would close that door.
It amends the Georgia Hemp Farming Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 23 of Title 2) to stop the state Department of Revenue from issuing a wholesale consumable hemp license to any business that already holds a wholesale alcoholic beverage license, or to any business affiliated with one. It also adds a new section to the alcoholic beverage code (O.C.G.A. Title 3, Chapter 3) directly prohibiting licensed wholesale alcohol dealers from selling or distributing consumable hemp products at all. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date beyond the standard process for bills becoming law.
### What it does
- Blocks the Department of Revenue from issuing a wholesale consumable hemp license to any business licensed as a wholesale alcoholic beverage dealer.
- Extends that same license ban to businesses affiliated with a licensed wholesale alcohol dealer, not just the dealer itself.
- Adds a new Code section making it illegal for any licensed wholesale alcohol dealer to sell or distribute consumable hemp products.
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these new restrictions.
### Who it affects
Wholesale dealers of alcoholic beverages in Georgia, companies affiliated with those dealers, and any business currently distributing or hoping to distribute both alcohol and consumable hemp products through the same wholesale operation. The Department of Revenue, which issues these licenses, is also affected.
### Why it matters
Wholesale alcohol distributors would be cut off from the consumable hemp market, keeping the two supply chains separate. Companies that combined alcohol and hemp distribution, or planned to, would need to restructure or drop one line of business to stay licensed in Georgia.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 2-23-6.3 by adding subsection (e), barring the department from issuing a wholesale consumable hemp license to a licensed wholesale alcohol dealer or its affiliates.
- Section 2 adds new O.C.G.A. § 3-3-35, prohibiting licensed wholesale alcohol dealers from selling or distributing consumable hemp products, using the definition of that term from § 2-23-3.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-20)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-02-21)
- Sponsors: Jason Anavitarte, Russ Goodman, Sam Watson, Carden Summers
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70637
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb229.md?full=1