Marijuana laws are ever-changing and vary by state and municipality. This can be very confusing for residents seeking to use marijuana for medical purposes. If you have questions regarding the current marijuana laws in Georgia, we’ve got the answers you need.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Georgia?
Yes—but to a very limited extent. Currently, medical marijuana is allowed in the state of Georgia under what is known as the Haleigh’s Hope Act. The Act allows eligible patients to possess up to 20 ounces of cannabis oil that contains only a very small amount of THC. Recreational use of marijuana or cannabis products is still illegal, and those found to cultivate, grow, sell, buy, or produce marijuana will still be punished by 1-10 years in jail or prison and associated fines.
Who Qualifies for Medical Marijuana in Georgia?
In order to use cannabis to cope with the effects of your illness or other ailment, you must apply and be approved for a Low THC Oil Registry Card, issued by the Georgia Department of Public Health (“GDPH”). According to the GDPH, you must be either an adult with a qualifying condition, a legal guardian over an eligible person, or the parent of a minor with a qualifying condition to hold a Low THC Oil Registry Card and purchase cannabis oil.
Qualifying conditions include:
- Cancer requiring treatment that causes recalcitrant nausea, vomiting, and similar discomfort
- Crohn’s disease
- End stage cancer
- Epidermolysis bullosa
- Epilepsy and other conditions that cause seizures
- Intractable and/or chronic pain
- Mitochondrial disease
- Patients who meet qualifications for hospice or end-of-life care
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Severe and/or end stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Severe and/or end stage multiple sclerosis
- Severe autism
- Severe or end stage AIDS/HIV
- Severe or end stage Alzheimer’s disease
- Severe or end stage Parkinson’s disease
- Severe or end stage peripheral neuropathy
- Severe or end stage sickle cell disease
- Severe Tourette’s syndrome
Where Can Patients Buy Medical Marijuana in Georgia?
To be clear, the Georgia medical marijuana program is still far more stringent than similar programs in other states. In fact, the Georgia program is not even included in the list of 33 U.S. states that have approved medical cannabis laws.
This is mostly due to the fact that available products for qualified patients are extremely limited. For example, the only product that’s really allowed for patients in the Low-THC Oil registry is CBD oil that contains 5% or less THC. For those that are used to medicating with traditional marijuana products, a product like this may prove to be less effective or not effective at all.
Further undercutting the benefits of the Georgia medical margijuana program, is the fact that CBD oil is actually available to residents throughout the state without having to be placed into the Low THC Oil Registry by a doctor. There are dozens of companies that sell CBD online and ship to all 50 states, including Georgia. They claim to be able to legally do this since their products are made from hemp, rather than actual marijuana. Hemp has a THC content of less than 0.3% by definition, and is legal according to the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill.
Of course, some say that these hemp-based CBD oils are not as effective as cannabis oil with higher THC content, so it may indeed be relevant to apply for medical marijuana in Georgia – especially if you’ve tried various CBD hemp oils in the past to little effect.
Just remember, even if you are approved for an MMJ card in Georgia and are added to the state’s Low THC Oil Registry, you will not be able to buy – or possess – marijuana products that get you high. And in fact, until dispensaries start opening up in 2020 (at the earliest), you actually won’t be able to buy any cannabis products at all.
