SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Some hemp businesses in Georgia have filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming that new regulations are threatening their survival.
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The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Court, challenges the restrictions that limit sales of hemp products to customers aged 21 and over, mandate product testing, and ban the sale of many THC-infused foods.
“The new regulations certainly impacted us since last year,” said Joe Salome of the Georgia Hemp Company. “We’ve seen a significant drop in our revenue and customer traffic.”
“A number of my clients are mom and pop shops, and this is their livelihood,” said Zakia Watson-Caffe, the plaintiff attorney.
Salome expressed concerns about the impact of the regulations, stating that they have led to a significant drop in revenue and customer traffic.
The new law, which took effect in October, imposes milligram restrictions on edibles such as gummies and beverages, capping them at 10 milligrams per serving.
Salome also noted the impact of the ban on smokable flower, which was a major draw for customers, helping to move them away from the black market.
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The lawsuit argues that the new Georgia law conflicts with the 2018 Federal Farm Bill, which allows the production and sale of hemp products with less than 0.3 percent Delta 9 THC.
Watson-Caffe told Channel 2’s Tom Regan the immediate and irreparable harm the restrictions are causing to small businesses.
The Georgia Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the complaint and has stated that it will continue to defend the laws passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.
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