---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-12-225. Criminal offenses; penalty.
collection: code
id: 16-12-225
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-12-225 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-225
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-225.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12-225/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch12-17-(v14b)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=a591fa7b_0#page=216
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-12.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CRIMES AND OFFENSES / OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORALS / ACCESS TO MEDICAL CANNABIS / ROLE OF COMMISSION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-12-225. Criminal offenses; penalty.

(a) A licensee or licensee’s employee who knowingly or willfully encourages, causes, abets, connives, conspires, or aids in the endangerment of patients, trafficking of low THC oil, products, or its manufacturing by-products, or criminal distribution of raw materials and agricultural inputs, including but not limited to seeds, under this part shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not to exceed $100,000.00, imprisonment for not less than five nor more than ten years, or both.

(b) Any person whose acts or omissions of gross, willful, or wanton negligence contribute to or cause the endangerment of patients, trafficking of low THC oil, products, or its manufacturing by-products, or criminal distribution of raw materials and agricultural inputs, including but not limited to seeds, under this part shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of up to $5,000.00, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.

(c) Failure to comply with all other provisions of this part shall be punishable by a fine of up to $500.00 for the first offense. All persons convicted of a second or subsequent offense shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of up to $1,000.00, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, for each violation.

(d) The provisions of this Code section shall not preclude prosecution and punishment for the commission of any offense otherwise provided by law.

## History

Code 1981, § 16-12-225, enacted by Ga. L. 2019, p. 43, § 4/HB 324; Ga. L. 2021, p. 184, § 17/SB 195.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2021, p. 184, § 28/SB 195, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to change, amend, or alter any criteria for applications for a Class 1 or Class 2 production license submitted to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission on or prior to January 27, 2021.”