The medical marijuana program in Georgia has been a slow process filled with roadblocks and problems. As of January 2022, the program is suspended indefinitely amid growing concerns, protests, and lawsuits from businesses that were denied applications for unknown reasons.
Currently, access to Georgia’s medical cannabis isn’t an option for residents of the Peach state, and many patients are left wondering when they’ll be able to get medical marijuana products in Georgia.
Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Program is On Hold
Lawmakers Forced to Review Potentially Shady Practices
Georgia has been kicking its feet with medical marijuana for many years now, and it was only in 2021 that we started to see any real moves towards creating the program.
However, after restrictive laws limiting the amount of allowable THC passed, legislators further bottlenecked the process by reducing the number of applications approved for cultivators to less than a handful.
Committees approved and denied applicants through decision-making sessions that only committee members were made aware of, causing questions to arise concerning the Georgia marijuana cultivator applicants who were awarded licenses versus those who were denied.
Georgia Not Likely to Speed Up Process Just Yet
Calling into question the viability of such secret meetings to decide the fate of a potentially very lucrative revenue stream for the state, legislators are set to review the sessions alongside piling lawsuits that are causing further delays.
These delays are expected to be the last of what has seemed like an endless round of constant setbacks, and legislators are discussing ways to include more cultivators, introduce temporary licenses, and figure out ways to improve the program.
In the near future, legislators will try to redesign the roadmap to a successful medical marijuana program, though that is not likely to occur in the next few weeks, but possibly over the next few months.
Getting Georgia Medical Marijuana in 2022
Patients are Waiting for Licensing Departments
Medical marijuana certifications haven’t been officially released by Georgia’s Department of Public Health, but we’re hoping they will be available shortly after the current cultivator licensing debacle is over.
With thousands of patients expected to be registering for Georgia’s medical marijuana program, it’s likely that we’ll need to wait until the cultivation side of the medical marijuana program is straightened out before the Department of Health is ready to approve applications.
Cannabis Could be Good for Insomnia & PTSD
Currently, there is no medical marijuana available for patients in Georgia, though we hope this will change in late 2022.
With no access to medical marijuana or medical marijuana certifications, patients looking for medical cannabis will likely need to travel to a state where recreational cannabis is available and consume that cannabis only in the state where it is legal to buy it.
While this may change in the near future, right now, having any amount of cannabis in Georgia remains a misdemeanor and could land you in jail or with heavy fines.
Will I Be Able to Buy Medical Marijuana in Georgia Soon?
Late 2022 to Early 2023 is Probably a Safe Bet
Based on the current delays and the time it will take to implement a more robust solution to Georgia’s current cannabis complications, we’re hoping that patients will be able to shop for their medicine by late 2022 or early 2023, but any number of things could extend that window.
And it’s likely that patients may have to wait longer than that if cultivators aren’t able to get up and running quickly because cannabis production facilities take a lot of time and regulation to officially open their doors.
Low-THC Cannabis Oil
It would be great to see legislators rethink their position on the cannabis products that will be available once the program is officially running.
Low-THC cannabis oils (hemp oil, CBD oil) unfortunately don’t deliver the full potential of available medicinal compounds like THC and remain a controversial approach to what could be considered a medical marijuana program or hemp program.
Raising or removing the THC limits and giving cultivators access to many licenses could not only create a more inviting economic opportunity for the state, but most importantly it could provide access to genuinely life-saving medicine that isn’t prohibited or illegal because of its potency.
But for patients waiting on low-THC cannabis oil in Georgia, you may be waiting a little while longer, and we’ll have to wait and see what happens after legislators finish clearing the air on Georgia’s approach to a medical marijuana program.
Get Your Georgia Marijuana Card
Georgia patients who have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition will be able to purchase low-THC cannabis oil in the future, which can provide significant localized relief and offer many therapeutic benefits.
Reserve your appointment today and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Feel free to give us a call at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia
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