Hemp Retail Consumable Hemp Licenses

Individuals or business entities that prepare or sell prepackaged consumable hemp products to consumers must obtain this license with the Department.

About this License

Individuals or business entities that prepare or sell prepackaged consumable hemp products to consumers must obtain this license with the Department. Consideration, issuance, and revocation of retail consumable hemp establishment licenses will be accomplished in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 2-5-1 et seq. (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-6.2)

License Overview

Information Required:

  • Name of the applicant
  • Business address of the applicant
  • Complete telephone number and email address of the applicant
  • The location where the applicant will sell of offer for sale consumable hemp products in this state and where such location is owned or leased by the applicant
  • If the applicant is a business entity, the name of the owners, partners, members, or shareholders of the entity.

Fees:

  • Retail Consumable Hemp Licenses will be issued by the Department for one (1) calendar year at an annual fee of $250.00.
  • Retail Consumable Hemp Licenses issued by the Department will be issued in connection with one single retail location where consumable hemp products will be sold or offered for sale to consumers by the licensee. If a person or business entity would like to offer consumable hemp products for retail sale at multiple locations, they will need to obtain a separate retail license for each location.

Denial of a License:

  • Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 2-5-5, which governs the denial of ALL Department issued registrations, licenses, and permits, any applicants that fall into the following categories are eligible for the denial of their license:
    • Applicants with a criminal record
    • Applicants found by the Commissioner to have violated any law administered by the department or any regulation or quarantine of the department
    • A corporation, when any of its officers has a criminal record or is found by the Commissioner to have violated any law administered by the department or any regulation or quarantine of the department
    • Any person who is less than 18 years of age on the date of his or her application.
  • In the case of a partnership, all parties shall be considered applicants.
  • No license will be denied without the opportunity for a hearing.

How to Apply for or Renew your License

Complete your applications and renewals for Hemp Retail Consumable Licenses online through the GDA Hemp Licensing and Reporting System using the links below. 

Before you start, please read the Hemp Retail Consumable License Application Guide.

What Happens When You Apply for a License

  1. When you apply online for your license, you will first have to create an account in the system.
  2. There are several sections to this application.  While you are working on your application, you may save your progress and return at any time.
  3. Once you submit your application, our staff will review your S&V paperwork.
  4. When the S&V paperwork has been approved, Hemp program staff will review your application. They may have questions or need to discuss further, so please make sure that your contact information is correct and that you respond promptly if someone tries to reach you.
  5. To pay your fee, you will log in to the Hemp Licensing System and pay online. Once you have paid, your license certificate will immediately be available for saving or printing.

Respond promptly to any questions or notifications, and make sure GDA can contact you if needed!

Apply for a new Hemp Retail Consumable License

Retail Sale of Consumable Hemp Products

Best Practices

  • Age Verification
    • Title 16 of Georgia’s criminal code establishes the illegality of consumable hemp sales to individuals under the age of 21.
    • Sellers: Knowingly selling or furnishing any consumable hemp product to any individual under the age of 21 years is prohibited.
    • Buyers: Knowingly purchasing, attempting to purchase, possessing, misrepresenting one’s identity or age, or using a false identification to obtain consumable hemp products by anyone under the age of 21 years is prohibited.
      • Upon the first conviction of a violation by an individual under the age of 21, the penalty for violating this requirement is a fine of $500.00 which can be satisfied through community service.
    • Duty of Seller: When a seller of consumable hemp products is in reasonable doubt as to whether an individual attempting to purchase a consumable hemp product is 21 years of age, it is the duty of the seller to request that the purchase furnish proper identification to verify the buyer’s age.
    • The employment of individuals under the age of 21 by a place of business dispensing, serving, selling, or handling any consumable hemp product is permitted.
    • The penalty for noncompliance with these requirements is a misdemeanor.
  • Location Rules
    • Beginning July 1, 2024, no person in Georgia shall create or begin operating a retail establishment selling or distributing consumable hemp products to consumers that is located within 500 feet of a public or private K-12 education institution.
    • Beginning July 1, 2024, no person operating a retail establishment in Georgia that sells or distributes consumable hemp products to consumers shall advertise or represent the establishment as selling or distributing of low THC oil, as defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-12-190.
    • Beginning July 1, 2024, advertising or representing a retail establishment that sells or distributes consumable hemp products as a dispensary of low THC oil is prohibited unless the establishment holds a dispensing license, as defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-12-200.
    • Beginning October 1, 2024, any person owning or operating a place of business in which any consumable hemp product is offered for sale must post the following in a conspicuous place and printed in all capital letters at least .5 inch in height: ‘SALE OF CONSUMABLE HEMP PRODUCTS TO INDIVIDUALS UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.’ The penalty for noncompliance with this requirement is a misdemeanor.

Products Prohibited and Provided For

  • Flower: Flowers or leaves of the Cannabis sativa L. plant, regardless of the total delta-9-THC concentration in such flowers or leaves are unlawful to offer for retail sale in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-4).
  • Food Products and Alcohol: Consumable hemp products that constitute or are a component of food products, or beverages containing alcohol or constituting an alcoholic beverage are prohibited for sale or distribution in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.2).
  • Consumable Hemp Products in the Form of Gummies: Hemp contained within gummies, are permitted for sale and distribution in Georgia, so long as the gummy is not a component of a food product (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.2).  
  • Consumable Hemp Products in the form of Oil Based Tinctures: Hemp contained within consumable base oils that are not components of a food product are permitted for sale and distribution in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.2).

Contents, Labeling, Packaging, and Advertising

Content Labeling and Contaminant Limits

  • No consumable hemp products are permitted for sale or distribution in Georgia unless the processor or manufacturer has, within the last 12 months, contracted for a full panel certificate of analysis (‘COA’) to be conducted on the products and such analysis has been made available to the public. The COA must, at a minimum, attest:
    • To the presence and amount, in each product’s final packaged form, of the following compounds:
      • THC;
      • Cannabidiol (CBD);
      • Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA);
      • Cannabigerol (CBG);
      • Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA);
      • Cannabinol (CBN);
      • Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC); AND
      • Any other compound that the Department determines, through rule, is necessary to protect the health and safety of consumers
    • That each product, in its final packaged form, does not contain any contaminants in excess of the maximum levels established by the Department through rule. (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.1)

Labeling: COA and Universal Symbol

  • All consumable hemp products must bear:
    • A sticker, approved by the Department through rule, warning potential consumers that such product contains THC; AND
    • A conspicuous label providing the information from the COA or allowing access to this information using a QR code. (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.1)
  • Universal Symbol: Department approved THC Warning Sticker required on all consumable hemp products in zip file containing: PDF, PNG, JPEG, EPS, and Adobe Illustrator Formats
    (Available once the rules are approved)

Packaging & Advertising Restrictions:

  • To be sold or distributed in Georgia, consumable hemp products must be packaged in containers that:
    • Are not attractive to children
    • Do not bear any reasonable resemblance to any existing candy, snack, or other food product that is widely distributed to the public (look-a-like products)
    • Do not infringe on any trade dress, trademarks, branding, or other related materials as described in O.C.G.A. § 10-1-450 or Chapter 22 of Title 15 of the U.S.C.; and
    • Are tamper evident and child resistant. (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.2)
  • To be sold or distributed in Georgia, consumable hemp products must not be advertised in any manner that:
    • Is attractive to children
    • Bear any reasonable resemblance to any existing candy, snack, or other food product that is widely distributed to the public (look-a-like products)
    • Infringes on any trade dress, trademarks, branding, or other related materials as described in O.C.G.A. § 10-1-450 or Chapter 22 of Title 15 of the U.S.C.; and
    • Suggests that the product constitutes or contains: low THC oil, as defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-12-190, medical marijuana, or medical cannabis. (O.C.G.A. § 2-23-9.2)

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