The south is rising up and making waves, setting a new precedent for patients to access medical marijuana legally. It’s another state to jump on the green wave.
The first dispensaries and sales took place Friday, April 29th, 2023, which patients waited 8 long years for. It has been legal for patients to possess and use cannabis oil in Georgia, but no place to buy it legally.
Flaws in the system include a fixed level of medicine availability. Only 6 producers are allowed to cultivate, and any cannabis oil manufactured must be low THC in potency. Two universities will also be allowed to produce and conduct research.
Only 5 dispensaries will be allowed to open via cultivators licenses. Thus far, the state only has licensed two companies to grow, manufacture and sell.
In March, Georgia rejected a bill that would have expanded the program allowing for more business opportunities and regulated delta-8 products. Nine companies filed lawsuits after losing bids for licenses. The bill would have set provisions for dealing with those lawsuits. It also would have regulated hemp derived CBD products as well.
With only 5 licensed producers/dispensaries, and mandating vertical integration, medicine is sure to be scarce. We will see how long it takes for them to actually expand their program meaningfully.
