State lawmakers weigh changes to marijuana policy

Caption

State Rep. Mark Newton is the chair of a special committee studying possible changes to Georgia's cannabis policies.

Credit: Screenshot from meeting livestream

A Georgia House committee is considering changes to the state’s cannabis policies. 

The blue-ribbon study committee on marijuana policy will look into the effectiveness of the current medical marijuana program in Georgia and consider changes. It will also look at how the state regulates hemp products that may contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

Rep. Mark Newton is the chairman of the committee. He said the goal is to improve current policy. 

“Many states have been trying to deal with how do we manage this in a safe way, in a way that makes sure there isn’t inadvertent toxicity or poisoning or other things," he said.

Representatives on the committee heard from law enforcement, doctors, regulatory officials, and members of the public. The committee will meet three more times before the start of January’s legislative session and issue policy recommendations.

Georgia passed a law creating a low-THC oil medical marijuana program in 2015. Only people with certain chronic or terminal conditions have access to the oil, and it must be prescribed by a doctor. 

Lawmakers debated banning THC-infused beverages during the 2025 legislative session, but the effort failed to cross the finish line. 

Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Georgia, but a federal law passed in 2018 allows for low amounts of hemp-derived thc to be sold.