Georgia’s medical marijuana program covers 25,000. registered patients

Georgia’s medical marijuana program has now reached 25,000 registered patients. The milestone signals the expansion of clinics distributing the drug.

According to , hitting that number was crucial opening more clinics in Georgia. The state agency overseeing implementation of the program, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, can now approve expansion efforts.

With a transparent demand for medical marijuana, Georgia growers can provide their products to more eligible patients.

“Patient access continues to be our mission and goal,” said committee chairman Sid Johnson. “The reason for the commission’s existence is to expand Georgia’s medical marijuana program, specifically to provide services to patients.”

As a result, six manufacturing corporations licensed to supply medical marijuana and cannabis products now operate 13 dispensaries within the state. This move was also supported by listening sessions conducted at quite a few universities throughout Georgia.

“We heard from patients, caregivers, healthcare workers, veterans, researchers and students interested in or in need of medical marijuana,” Johnson said. “Their willingness to share personal stories and comments on improvements is invaluable to improving the program.”

This distribution has come a great distance since Georgia first legalized the drug’s medicinal use. Despite legalizing low-THC cannabis oil in 2015, Georgia lawmakers have didn’t pass laws allowing patients to acquire the drug.

Georgians had to depart the state to make a purchase order or risk purchasing cannabis oil illegally until 2019. The General Assembly then passed a brand new law establishing a process for licensing businesses to supply marijuana indoors. Under state regulations and supervision, they may sell the product to state-registered patients, but only on a physician’s order.

The variety of cannabis dispensaries will even proceed to grow. The law states that manufacturing corporations will receive an extra license to dispense the drug for each 10,000 patient increase. The news follows other advances in cannabis distribution in Georgia, comparable to the legalization of dispensary sales of low-dose THC products.

As medical marijuana use increases, Georgia expects to participate on this movement and increase the variety of patients and dispensaries within the state.