Georgia Commons

Official Code of Georgia Annotated

Title 16. CRIMES AND OFFENSES · Chapter 13. CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES · Article 6. KRATOM

16-13-121. Possession by individual under age 21; sale; penalty.

Active2 versions printed

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Effective January 1, 2025.In force today: Effective January 1, 2025.
  1. (a)
    1. (1)

      No person shall knowingly sell or transfer possession of any kratom, kratom product, or kratom extract to another person under 21 years of age, nor shall any person under 21 years of age purchase or possess any kratom, kratom product, or kratom extract.#

    2. (2)
      1. (A)

        The prohibition contained in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply with respect to the sale or transfer of possession of kratom, kratom product, or kratom extract by a person when such person has been furnished with proper identification showing that the individual to whom the kratom, kratom product, or kratom extract is sold or transferred is 21 years of age or older.#

      2. (B)

        In any case when a reasonable or prudent person could reasonably be in doubt as to whether or not the individual to whom kratom, kratom product, or kratom extract is to be sold or transferred is actually 21 years of age or older, it shall be the duty of such person to request to see and to be furnished with proper identification. The failure to make such request and verification may be considered by the trier of fact in determining whether such person did knowingly sell or transfer possession in violation of paragraph (1) of this subsection.#

  2. (b)

    No person shall ingest kratom in a manner that employs a heating element, power source, electronic circuit, or other electronic, chemical, or mechanical means, regardless of shape or size, that can be used to produce vapor in a solution or other form, including, but not limited to, any electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe, or similar product or device and any vapor cartridge or other container of kratom in a solution or other form that is intended to be used with or in an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe, or similar product or device.#

  3. (c)

    No person shall sell, deliver, cause to be delivered, or assist in the delivery of any kratom in or to this state that can be ingested in a manner that violates subsection (b) of this Code section.#

  4. (d)

    No person shall offer for sale kratom in this state unless such product is behind a counter in an area only accessible to store employees or in a secured display which is only accessible with the intervention of a store employee.#

  5. (e)

    Any person that commits an act in violation of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that, for a conviction of a first offense, such individual shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $250.00; for a conviction of a second offense, such individual shall be punished by a fine of up to $500.00; and for a conviction of a third offense and each subsequent offense, such individual shall be punished by a fine of up to $1,000.00.#

The notes below are printed with the section but are not enacted law (O.C.G.A. § 1-1-1(c)). They are shown apart from the text.

History

Code 1981, § 16-13-121, enacted by Ga. L. 2019, p. 273, § 1/HB 551; Ga. L. 2024, p. 544, § 2/HB 181, effective January 1, 2025.

Delayed effective date

Code Section 16-13-121 is set out twice in this Code. This version is effective January 1, 2025. For version effective until January 1, 2025, see the preceding version.

Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2025, rewrote this Code section, which read: “No person shall sell or transfer possession of kratom to another person under 18 years of age, nor shall any person under 18 years of age possess kratom. A person who is convicted of violating this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” See Editor’s notes for applicability.

Editor's notes

Ga. L. 2024, p. 544, § 4/HB 181, not codified by the General Assembly, makes the amendment of this Code section applicable to offenses committed on or after January 1, 2025.

Read the official page (the state's PDF, opened at the page this text was read from).

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Text read from t16-ch12-17-(v14b)-2024-pdf.pdf, Volume V14B, 2024 edition, pages 709 to 710; merge action: carried; file SHA-256 36dbab616896.

Effective until January 1, 2025.No longer in force as printed (Effective until January 1, 2025.)
  1. No person shall sell or transfer possession of kratom to another person under 18 years of age, nor shall any person under 18 years of age possess kratom. A person who is convicted of violating this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

The notes below are printed with the section but are not enacted law (O.C.G.A. § 1-1-1(c)). They are shown apart from the text.

History

Code 1981, § 16-13-121, enacted by Ga. L. 2019, p. 273, § 1/HB 551.

Delayed effective date

Code Section 16-13-121 is set out twice in this Code. This version is effective until January 1, 2025. For version effective January 1, 2025, see the following version.

Read the official page (the state's PDF, opened at the page this text was read from).

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Text read from t16-ch12-17-(v14b)-2024-pdf.pdf, Volume V14B, 2024 edition, page 709; merge action: carried; file SHA-256 36dbab616896.

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