A surprising state court decision last month breathed new life into a battle concerning a business that had been barred from even seeking compensation after law enforcement allegedly damaged property worth thousands of dollars. The case, which pitted a legal hemp grower against police in Georgia, overturned precedent in the state and is yet another twist in the legal debate over how insulated government is when exercising "police power."
In July 2021, the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) reportedly destroyed $37,000 worth of hemp crops by flying helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft at low altitude during a "drug-suppression exercise." That was bad news for Blue 42 Organics, LLC, a licensed hemp grower that properly registered with both the Georgia and U.S. Departments of Agriculture.
