Georgia Medical Cannabis Program Surpasses 41,500 Active Patients, Up 22% Since June
- Georgia’s medical cannabis program now has over 41,500 active patients, a 22% increase since early June, with nearly 5,000 new registrations after a major expansion on July 1.
- The expansion followed the enactment of Senate Bill 220, which renamed the program, revised qualifying conditions, and broadened available cannabis forms for patients.
- The new law removed some severity requirements for conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis, allowing more patients to qualify, and permitted adults 21+ to use certain vaporized medical cannabis products.
- Medical cannabis sales began in April 2023 via licensed dispensaries and pharmacies, requiring patient certification and registration with the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Georgia’s medical cannabis program has surpassed 41,000 active patients, with nearly 5,000 registering since a major expansion took effect July 1.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that more than 41,500 patients are now actively registered with the program. That represents an increase of approximately 4,700 patients from the 36,703 enrolled at the end of June.
Georgia had approximately 34,000 active medical cannabis patients at the beginning of June, meaning enrollment has increased by about 22% since then.
More than twice as many patients registered during the first three weeks following the expansion as during the previous three-week period, according to Department of Public Health data provided to The Marijuana Herald.
The increase followed the implementation of Senate Bill 220, known as the Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the measure into law earlier this year, and most of its provisions took effect July 1.
The law renamed the state’s low-THC oil program as the medical cannabis program, revised its list of qualifying conditions and expanded the forms of cannabis available to registered patients.
Under the previous law, several qualifying conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, generally had to be classified as severe or end-stage. The new law removes some of those severity requirements, allowing additional patients to qualify.
The expansion also allows registered patients who are at least 21 years old to use certain vaporized medical cannabis products. Before July 1, the program was largely restricted to cannabis oils and other products containing no more than 5% THC.
Georgia first authorized possession of low-THC cannabis oil for registered patients in 2015, but legal in-state sales did not begin until April 2023. Products are available through dispensaries licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission and participating independent pharmacies.
Patients and caregivers must receive certification from an authorized physician and register with the Department of Public Health before purchasing medical cannabis.