Marijuana is not legal in Savannah, Georgia. Recreational cannabis is illegal under Georgia state law and under federal law, and no local rule changes that. What Savannah has done is lower the penalty its own officers and municipal court can impose for possessing one ounce or less to a fine of up to $150 with no jail time. State troopers, Chatham County deputies, and federal agents can still charge you under the harsher laws that sit above the city ordinance.
What Savannah’s Ordinance Actually Does
In March 2018, the Savannah City Council passed Section 9-2026, which caps the penalty for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana within city limits at a $150 fine with no imprisonment of any kind.1City of Savannah. Ordinance Regarding Possession of Marijuana If a court finds you can’t afford the fine, it can order community service instead.
The ordinance does not legalize marijuana. It does not treat first offenses differently from repeat offenses; the $150 ceiling and the no-jail rule apply every time. And it binds only Savannah city police and the Savannah municipal court. A state trooper or a Chatham County sheriff’s deputy stopping you on the same block can charge the same conduct under Georgia state law, and anyone charged under the city ordinance can also ask that the case be transferred to the county court that handles general misdemeanors.1City of Savannah. Ordinance Regarding Possession of Marijuana
Georgia State Penalties Outside the Ordinance
Under state law, possessing one ounce or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Anything over one ounce is a felony carrying one to ten years in prison.2Justia. Georgia Code 16-13-30 – Purchase, Possession, Manufacture, Distribution, or Sale of Controlled Substances or Marijuana; Penalties
Concentrates are treated more harshly than plant material. Possessing less than one gram of a solid concentrate or less than one milliliter of a liquid concentrate is already a felony. Georgia does not carve out a misdemeanor amount for concentrates the way it does for leaf.
Selling or distributing marijuana, or possessing it with intent to distribute, is a felony no matter the amount. Under ten pounds carries one to ten years. Larger quantities trigger Georgia’s trafficking statutes with mandatory minimum sentences.
School Zones
Distribution or possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school carries much steeper penalties. A first offense is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $20,000. A second offense raises the ceiling to 40 years and $40,000, with a mandatory minimum of five years the judge cannot suspend, and the sentence runs consecutively to any other sentence.3Justia. Georgia Code 16-13-32.4 – Manufacturing, Distributing, Dispensing, or Possessing Controlled Substances in, on, or Near Public or Private Schools
First-Offender Conditional Discharge
If you have never been convicted of any drug offense in any state, Georgia’s conditional discharge statute lets you plead guilty and have the court defer judgment. Instead of a conviction, the court places you on probation for up to three years, usually with a drug rehabilitation requirement.4Justia. Georgia Code 16-13-2 – Conditional Discharge for Possession as First Offense
Complete probation and the case is dismissed with no conviction on your record, and that dismissal cannot be treated as a conviction for any legal disability or disqualification. You get one shot. Conditional discharge is available only once in a lifetime, and violating probation lets the court enter a conviction and impose the original sentence.4Justia. Georgia Code 16-13-2 – Conditional Discharge for Possession as First Offense
Medical Low-THC Oil Is the Only Legal Cannabis Product
Georgia has not legalized medical marijuana in the way most states have. Smokable flower, edibles, and standard-potency products are all still illegal. The one legal pathway is possession of low-THC oil, defined as an oil containing CBD and no more than 5% THC by weight, with no visible plant material.5Justia. Georgia Code 16-12-190 – Definition Registered patients can possess up to 20 fluid ounces.6Georgia Department of Public Health. Low THC Oil – FAQ for Law Enforcement
To qualify, you need one of the state’s listed medical conditions and a Low THC Oil Registry Card from the Georgia Department of Public Health. Qualifying conditions include end-stage cancer, seizure disorders related to epilepsy or head injuries, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, sickle cell disease, PTSD from direct trauma exposure (adults only), autism spectrum disorder, and intractable pain, among others.7Georgia Department of Public Health. Low THC Oil Registry Any other form of marijuana, and any low-THC oil possession without a registry card, remains a criminal offense.6Georgia Department of Public Health. Low THC Oil – FAQ for Law Enforcement
Federal Law and the Rescheduling News
Marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, classified with heroin and LSD.8Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Scheduling Federal law does not recognize state medical or recreational distinctions.9Drug Enforcement Administration. Marijuana/Cannabis
In December 2025, the President issued an executive order directing the Attorney General to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. As of early 2026, the DEA has said rescheduling must still work through the required administrative steps before it becomes legally effective.10Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. In Case You Missed It: Updates from ODAPC Even if the move to Schedule III is finalized, it would not legalize marijuana. Recreational use and unlicensed possession would remain federal offenses.
Savannah/Hilton Head Airport
The airport is federal jurisdiction for drug enforcement. TSA officers do not actively hunt for drugs, but if marijuana turns up during screening, they are required to contact law enforcement. Federal regulations prohibit operating any civil aircraft with knowledge that marijuana is aboard, and the Controlled Substances Act applies at the checkpoint no matter what state or city rules say. Carrying cannabis on an international flight is a serious criminal offense in nearly every country.
Firearms and Marijuana Use
Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), any unlawful user of a controlled substance is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Because marijuana is still Schedule I federally, any marijuana user counts as an unlawful user for this purpose, even someone holding a Georgia Low THC Oil Registry Card. Lying about drug use on the federal firearms purchase form (ATF Form 4473) is a separate felony. The Supreme Court is considering cases at the intersection of marijuana use and gun rights as of early 2026, but the prohibition stands.
Employment and Drug Testing
Savannah’s ordinance does nothing about your job. Private employers in Georgia can maintain zero-tolerance drug policies and test for marijuana. Federal contractors and workers in safety-sensitive transportation roles face mandatory testing, and the Department of Transportation has confirmed its drug testing requirements are unchanged as of 2026. Marijuana use remains disqualifying for commercial drivers, pilots, railroad workers, and similar positions.10Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. In Case You Missed It: Updates from ODAPC The DOT has said its testing program will not change until federal rescheduling is finalized, and even then the outcome for workplace testing is uncertain.
Hemp CBD and Delta-8
Hemp-derived CBD and delta-8 THC products have been widely available in Savannah shops. Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp and its derivatives were legal if they contained no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, which is what let delta-8 gummies and vapes proliferate.
Federal legislation signed in November 2025 tightens those rules significantly, with enforcement beginning November 12, 2026. The new law redefines hemp to include total THC, so delta-8 THC and THCA count toward the 0.3% limit. It caps finished consumer products at 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container and prohibits synthetically derived cannabinoids like delta-8 made through CBD conversion, along with manufactured cannabinoids like HHC. Products that exceed these limits will be classified as marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act and carry the same criminal penalties. Georgia legislators have proposed additional testing and labeling requirements at the state level, but those bills had not passed as of early 2026.