Georgia Cannabis Politics — Kemp, Carr, Jones, Harper, Raffensperger

Last verified: May 2026

Gov. Brian Kemp (R)

Brian Kemp serves his second term as Governor (2023–2027) and cannot run for re-election in 2026 due to term limits. Kemp’s cannabis-policy posture has been:

• Signed HB 324 / Georgia’s Hope Act on April 17, 2019 — creating GMCC and authorizing in-state production licensing.
• Signed HB 213 / Georgia Hemp Farming Act in May 2019 — establishing the state hemp program.
• Signed SB 494 on April 30, 2024 — closing the THCA loophole and tightening hemp standards.
• Cautious on broader reform. Has not advocated recreational legalization or substantially expanded medical-cannabis access.
• Has signaled openness to SB 220’s milligram-based framework (2026), in contrast to his caution on broader reform.

AG Chris Carr (R)

Chris Carr serves as Georgia Attorney General. Carr is exploring a 2026 gubernatorial run; the AG’s office’s prosecutorial-policy posture is therefore politically pertinent. Carr’s office has supported the 2024 Prosecutorial Oversight Commission push, which would create state-level discipline mechanisms over the Atlanta-area Democratic DAs (Willis, Boston, Gonzalez) whose cannabis-declination practices have softened enforcement in their jurisdictions.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R)

Burt Jones presides over the Georgia Senate and is also running for governor in 2026. Jones’s cannabis-policy posture has been broadly aligned with Kemp’s — cautious on broader reform but supportive of the existing Haleigh’s Hope / Georgia’s Hope Act framework.

Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper (R)

Tyler Harper administers the state hemp program through the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Harper led SB 494’s drafting and enforcement — the 2024 statute that closed the THCA loophole, banned hemp flower retail, and restricted hemp sales to 21+. Harper’s office is the principal hemp-policy enforcement authority. See SB 494 page.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R)

Brad Raffensperger’s office hosts GMCC administratively (for budget and HR purposes), though GMCC is functionally independent on licensing decisions. Raffensperger gained national prominence for his 2020 election-administration role and his refusal to overturn results; his cannabis-policy involvement is largely indirect.

Local Political Voices

• Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D) — 61st mayor, in office since January 3, 2022, re-elected November 4, 2025. Has not made cannabis reform a signature issue but has continued to enforce the 2017 decriminalization ordinance.
• Former Atlanta Council Member Kwanza Hall (D) — original sponsor of Ordinance 17-O-1152.
• Fulton DA Fani Willis (D) and DeKalb DA Sherry Boston (D) — declination practices on low-level possession.
• Athens-Clarke/Oconee DA Deborah Gonzalez (D) — restorative justice on cannabis cases.

The 2026 Gubernatorial Election Implications

Both AG Chris Carr and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones are exploring 2026 gubernatorial runs. Their cannabis-policy positioning during the campaign cycle will shape what reforms are politically viable in 2027 and beyond. Historically, Georgia gubernatorial candidates have not made cannabis-policy positions central to their campaigns; whether that pattern holds in 2026 is a key political variable.

The Democratic gubernatorial nomination is also competitive. Stacey Abrams was the 2018 and 2022 Democratic nominee; she has not declared for 2026 as of May 2026. Atlanta-area Democratic candidates have generally been more supportive of cannabis reform than statewide Republicans.

Public Opinion vs. Political Outcomes

Per the AJC/UGA January 2023 poll: ~76% support medical-cannabis legalization, ~53% support adult-use legalization. The 23-point gap between these two figures and the policy outcomes (no recreational; medical only at 5% THC cap) reflects the absence of a citizen-initiative pathway (no-ballot-initiative page). Without direct-democracy mechanisms, the executive and legislative-leadership positions effectively determine cannabis-policy outcomes.

The 2026–27 Calendar

• ~May 12, 2026: Gov. Kemp’s decisions on SB 220, SB 33, SB 254.
• 2026 election cycle: Gubernatorial primaries (Carr vs Jones for Republican nomination); General Assembly elections; possibly Schedule III rescheduling finalization at federal level.
• 2027 General Assembly session: Whatever follow-on cannabis legislation builds on SB 220’s framework (or fills gaps left by a veto).
• 2028 election cycle: Possible recreational-cannabis legislative referral if political conditions shift.