The measure now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for approval
The measure now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for approval
The measure now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for approval
A new bill passed by the Georgia Senate would expand the types of medical marijuana products sold at dispensaries.
Senate Bill 220 would raise the THC limit for medical marijuana products to 5% and allow patients to buy and use marijuana in leaf and vape forms.
The bill would also add lupus to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana treatment.
Patients must already have a doctor’s approval to get a medical marijuana card. The program has mainly covered chronic conditions such as seizures, Parkinson’s disease and PTSD.
Abby Hess, co-owner of Savannah Smoke Shop, said regulated products can keep safer products on the market.
“A lot of the time, when you aren’t going through something that’s a recreational medical dispensary, it’s not nearly as safe. So I think it’s a lot better for people to actually be able to purchase options that are regulated through a controlled system,” Hess said.
Gary Long is the CEO of Botanical Sciences, Georgia’s first medical cannabis dispensary. He said allowing the use of vape products could provide faster relief for patients with chronic illnesses.
“If you’ve got tremors and spasticity from multiple sclerosis, you don’t want to wait 45 minutes, potentially, for the medicine to take effect. And through vaporization, it essentially immediately goes into your bloodstream, through your lungs, which gives people relief right away,” Long said. “It’s designed for in-home use. So nonpublic use, because there was concern generally that they didn’t want people out on the street just, you know, vaping products.”
Long also said the bill could help Georgia’s economy by reducing the need for patients to travel out of state or buy from what he considers unreliable sources.
The bill now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for approval.
TRENDING STORIES
Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.