Georgia medical cannabis patient growth continues to surge

Georgia’s medical cannabis program is continuing to expand faster than at any point in its decade-long history.

The state’s medical marijuana patient registry grew by more than 22% in just over a month after a new law eased access, from 36,595 patients in late June to 44,854 in early August, according to state data reported by NPR affiliate WABE.

The growth follows the July 1 enactment of new rules under the Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law in May.

As of March, there were only 34,500 registered patients out of a statewide population of 11.3 million. That growth positions Georgia to add more medical cannabis business permits sooner rather than later.

Previously, Georgia medical cannabis patients were limited to low-THC oil. The new law dropped a percentage-based THC cap in favor of a milligram system, with patients able to possess up to 12,000 milligrams of THC at any one time, according to state health officials.

It also added conditions to include lupus and irritable bowel syndrome and removed the “severe or end stage” requirement for cancer and AIDS patients.

Smoking cannabis flower remains prohibited, but cannabis flower for vaporization is available.

Gary Long, CEO of licensed producer Botanical Sciences, the second company to receive an MMJ permit under the old rules, said the surge reflects a strong pent-up demand and expects the pace to continue.

“People are starting to realize that Georgia has evolved its laws, and now if you choose to qualify, you do qualify,” Long told WABE.

He noted that up to 4% of residents in states with mature medical markets become patients. Applied to Georgia’s population of about 11.5 million that works out to up to 400,000 potential patients.

A rapidly expanding patient base means more business opportunities for would-be Georgia medical cannabis operators.

Currently, the state limits business licenses to:

For every 10,000 new medical marijuana patients entering the program, an additional retail license becomes available.

However, the rapid enrollment has strained the Georgia Department of Public Health, which verifies patient eligibility, according to WABE. Processing times have stretched from about one week to up to four weeks because of application volume.

Exclusive industry data and analysis to help you make informed business decisions and avoid costly missteps. All the facts, none of the hype. 

What you will get: 

Georgia broke ground in 2023 as the first state to let independent pharmacies sell medical cannabis.

But the pharmacies operate under tighter rules than licensed dispensaries. Under state pharmacy regulations, they may dispense only low THC products, defined as oils, tinctures, transdermal patches, lotions and capsules.

The newer, higher-potency formats introduced under the 2026 law, including vaporizer oil cartridges and flower, are available only at dispensaries licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.

It remains unclear whether independent pharmacies will be permitted to carry the expanded product formats in the future.