SB 294: Distilled Spirits; sale of consumable hemp products by retail dealers in distilled spirits; authorize

Under current Georgia law, retailers licensed to sell distilled spirits operate under rules in Title 3 of the state code, while consumable hemp products are regulated separately under the Georgia Hemp Farming Act (O.C.G.A. Title 2, Chapter 23), overseen by the Department of Agriculture. This bill adds a new section to the distilled spirits law clarifying that nothing in that law or its regulations stops a licensed distilled spirits retailer from also getting a retail consumable hemp establishment license. Once a distilled spirits retailer obtains that separate hemp license, it could sell consumable hemp products to customers, but that sale would be governed entirely by the Hemp Farming Act and the Department of Agriculture's rules, not by the distilled spirits laws. The bill does not set new penalties, funding, or an explicit effective date beyond the standard process, and it repeals any conflicting laws.

• Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 3-4-4) stating that distilled spirits laws do not prohibit a licensed distilled spirits retailer from also holding a retail consumable hemp establishment license.
• Allows a distilled spirits retailer that obtains the hemp license to sell or offer for sale consumable hemp products directly to consumers.
• Specifies that such hemp product sales are governed exclusively by the Georgia Hemp Farming Act (O.C.G.A. Title 2, Chapter 23) and Department of Agriculture rules, not by distilled spirits regulations.
• Adopts the definitions of 'consumable hemp product' and 'retail consumable hemp establishment license' already used in O.C.G.A. § 2-23-3.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new provision.

Retail dealers licensed to sell distilled spirits in Georgia, who would gain the option to also sell consumable hemp products; the Department of Agriculture, which regulates hemp product sales; and consumers who shop at liquor stores for both alcohol and hemp products.

If enacted, package stores and other distilled spirits retailers could add consumable hemp products, like hemp-derived drinks or edibles, to their shelves without needing to change their alcohol license, as long as they separately obtain a hemp retail license and follow the Department of Agriculture's hemp rules.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 3-4-4 to Chapter 4 of Title 3, the distilled spirits chapter of Georgia law.
• Subsection (a) borrows the definitions of 'consumable hemp product' and 'retail consumable hemp establishment license' from O.C.G.A. § 2-23-3.
• Subsection (b) permits a licensed distilled spirits retailer to also hold a hemp retail license and sell hemp products under the Georgia Hemp Farming Act.
• Subsection (b) makes clear that hemp product sales by these retailers are regulated solely under the Hemp Farming Act and Department of Agriculture rules, not the distilled spirits chapter.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
2. 2025-02-27Senate Hopper (Senado)

• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)Patrocinador principal
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)

• hemp products
• liquor stores
• alcohol licensing
• hemp regulation
• retail sales