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“We understand applicants are eager to receive their cards, and we appreciate their patience as we work through this unprecedented volume.”
By Alander Rocha, Georgia Recorder
Georgia’s medical cannabis program experienced an unprecedented surge of new registered patients over the past month after the law changed significantly to ease access.
The patient registry grew from 36,595 patients in late June to 44,854 on Monday, an increase of more than 22 percent in just over a month. The increase of over 8,200 active patients marks a significant change of pace for a decade-old program that grew sluggishly under the previous law.
The steep increase reflects a “pent-up demand” across Georgia, said Gary Long, CEO of Botanical Sciences, one of the state’s medical cannabis producers. Long said that the uptick is encouraging, and he does not expect it to slow down.
“We’re in that adoption phase where the word is getting out, and more and more patients are learning about the laws in the state and what they can and can’t do,” Long said Monday. “People are starting to realize that Georgia has evolved its laws, and now if you choose to qualify, and you do qualify, you’re able to get these products as you see fit, from either a dispensary or a pharmacy that is licensed to do so.”
Long added that up to 4 percent of people in states with established medical cannabis programs are patients, and with Georgia’s population of nearly 11.5 million, he estimated that 300,000 to 400,000 Georgians could eventually become patients.
The new law that went into effect in July eliminated the state’s “low-THC oil” branding and tossed its percentage potency cap, opting for a milligram-based system that is an industry standard.
The new framework also allows patients over 21 to purchase products for vaping, but smoking cannabis flower is still prohibited by state law.
It also added new qualifying conditions, such as lupus and irritable bowel syndrome, and it gets rid of the requirement that certain conditions, like cancer and AIDS, must be “severe or end stage” to qualify.
But the large influx of new patients created a bottleneck for the Department of Public Health (DPH), the agency responsible for verifying and giving patients a medical cannabis card. The agency, which previously took up to a week to verify a patient’s eligibility, is currently experiencing processing times of up to four weeks.
“Our team is working diligently to process applications as quickly as possible while ensuring each one is reviewed accurately and in accordance with state requirements. We understand applicants are eager to receive their cards, and we appreciate their patience as we work through this unprecedented volume,” said DPH spokesperson Nancy Shirek.
To enroll in Georgia’s medical cannabis program, patients with a qualifying condition must first be evaluated by a DPH-approved doctor. Once evaluated, the doctor submits the patient’s information to the department, which manages the state’s patient registry.
After the agency verifies the information, the patient receives a link to pay for their medical cannabis card, which is then shipped to the patient’s address.
This story was first published by Georgia Recorder.
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