About Medical Marijuana in Georgia 

Key Points to know about Georgia’s medical marijuana laws:

• Illegal products – What the law didn’t do is legalize the production or sale of marijuana in its dried flower form. It also forbids the production of THC-infused edible products as well as the use of vaporizers.
• Possession limits – Under Georgia’s Hope Act, patients suffering from a list of qualifying medical conditions can legally possess up to 20 fluid ounces of low-THC cannabis oil. 
• Caregivers – Underage patients or patients who are not able to procure their own medicine may appoint a caregiver to purchased and/or administer their medicine. Caregivers are afforded the same legal protections as patients. 
• State fees – There is a $25 fee for a new or replacement card.

Way back, in 2015, the Georgia General Assembly approved the use of low-THC cannabis oil for a list of qualifying medical conditions. The 2015 law, although it did not make the production and sale of the drug legal, it did provide legal protection for patients who registered for the program. 

However, it wasn’t until spring 2019 that legislators signed off on Georgia’s Hope, Act HB 324, creating a legal, regulated market for medical marijuana products in the state. More than 8,000 patients had signed up for the program before the new law went into effect. That number is expected to grow quickly.

Since the original program went into effect in 2015, Georgians have literally had to break state law to get their meds and will continue to do so until licensed producers make legal products available. It could be well into 2022 before that happens. 

The new law calls for licensing up to six private companies to grow medical marijuana in the state. The rules also facilitate the legal operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Two have been named, Trulieve, a popular brand in Florida and Botanical Sciences.

Now, there is a catch. Under the state’s regulations, legal medical marijuana products are strictly limited to low THC cannabis oils containing no more than 5 percent THC, and patients may possess no more than 20 fluid ounces of this low-THC oil. The card which is issued to approved patients is literally called a “Low THC Oil Registry Card.” 

In order to make cannabis oil, someone needs to grow cannabis plants. Typically, the resinous dried flower clusters which are harvested from the plant are referred to as marijuana. Companies licensed to produce marijuana in Georgia aren’t permitted to sell it in its smokable form. In order to produce cannabis oil, the dried buds undergo a process that extracts the essential oils, leaving behind the rest of the plant. This resulting cannabis oil contains all of the medicinally valuable compounds produced in the buds such as cannabinoids and terpenes.

Registered patients will be able to purchase their medicine soon.