Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has signed legislation into law expanding patients’ access to state-qualified medical cannabis products.
Senate Bill 220: The Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act replaces all statutory references to “low THC oil” with “medical cannabis.” It removes the existing five percent THC cap on cannabis products; instead permitting patients to “possess a product or products containing a cumulative total of 12,000 milligrams or less of THC.” All state-authorized medical cannabis products (e.g., oils, tinctures, capsules, and lozenges) must be packaged in a “pharmaceutical container labeled by the manufacturer indicating the amount of THC therein.”
Other changes permit patients over the age of 21 to vaporize permitted products. Patients are not permitted to smoke botanical cannabis, nor may manufacturers infused cannabis in food products. Public use of medical cannabis products is also prohibited.
The new law also expands the pool of patients who may access state-approved cannabis products to include those diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease and lupus. It also lessens the requirements for patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions who seek to register for the state’s medical cannabis access program.
Upon signing the bill, Gov. Kemp acknowledged: “I, like many of those who expressed opposition to this bill, have reservations about the legalization of recreational cannabis. … I also recognize that for some patients, medical cannabis provides significant relief to symptoms that would otherwise go untreated or would be treated with even more harmful opioids. I do not believe that a well-implemented medical cannabis program must inevitably lead to the legalization of recreational use in Georgia, nor is the question of recreational use anywhere in the bill on my desk for signature.”
NORML advocated for the passage of SB 220. An action alert in support of the bill generated nearly 500 direct communications with state lawmakers.
Following these expansions, NORML classifies Georgia as the 41st medical cannabis state.
Georgia lawmakers initially approved legislation in 2015 legalizing the possession of non-herbal, low-THC oils for authorized patients. However, regulators failed to license dispensaries to provide these products until 2023.
Over 33,000 patients are currently enrolled to participate in Georgia’s medical cannabis access program.
The full text of Senate Bill 220 is available online.
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