Georgia clears the way for independent dispensaries to sell cannabis oil

Regulators in Georgia have opened the door to medical cannabis patients in the state giving them far greater access to treatment.

According to Northwest Georgia News, the State Board of Pharmacy “has issued a set of regulations that will allow Georgia’s independent pharmacies to dispense cannabis oil to eligible patients who are on a registry maintained by the state Department of Public Health.”

The outlet reports that state regulators “so far have issued manufacturing licenses to two companies.”

“Trulieve Georgia and Botanical Sciences LLC have begun cannabis oil production and opened dispensaries in Marietta and Macon, with more to come,” the outlet reads. “In addition to these pharmacies, the 2019 law also authorizes independent pharmacies to sell cannabis oil to eligible patients.”

“This gives virtually every community the opportunity to gain access,” said Andrew Turnage, executive director of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which oversees the medical cannabis program, as quoted by Northwest Georgia News.

“They are laying out a way for independent pharmacies to apply for this medicine and have it inspected and regulated,” he added.

With the passage of the Haleigh’s Hope Act in 2015, Peach State legislators legalized medical cannabis treatment for the first time, which gave eligible patients access to low-THC cannabis oil.

The state assembly followed suit in 2019 with the Georgia’s Hope Act, “authorizing the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate the licensing of limited, domestic cultivation, production, manufacture, and sale of low-THC oil.” monitor.” as well as dispensing to patients enrolled in the State Registry of Low-THC Oil,” according to the official website of the State Medical Cannabis Access Commission.

After Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill into law in the spring, the commission “was administratively placed under the office of the Georgia Secretary of State for budget, procurement and staffing support,” according to the government website.

According to the website, patients with the following conditions are eligible for cannabis oil prescriptions: “Cancer when diagnosis is terminal or treatment results in associated wasting or recalcitrant nausea and vomiting; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis if diagnosis is severe or end-stage; seizure disorders associated with diagnosis of epilepsy or traumatic head injury; multiple sclerosis if the diagnosis is severe or end-stage; Crohn’s disease; mitochondrial disease; Parkinson’s disease if the diagnosis is severe or end-stage; sickle cell anemia if the diagnosis is severe or end-stage; Tourette’s syndrome, if this syndrome is diagnosed as severe; Autism Spectrum Disorder if (a) the patient is 18 years of age or older, or (b) the patient is less than 18 years of age and has been diagnosed with severe autism; epidermolysis bullosa; Alzheimer’s disease when this disease is severe or end-stage; AIDS if the syndrome is severe or end-stage; Peripheral neuropathy when symptoms are severe or end-stage; The patient is in the hospice program, either inpatient or outpatient; persistent pain; [and] Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from the direct exposure or witnessing of trauma in a patient at least 18 years of age.”

But the state’s thousands of eligible patients were only able to obtain the cannabis oil earlier this year when the first two medicinal cannabis dispensaries opened for business last month.

Trulieve, a medicinal cannabis company, operates both dispensaries, located in the cities of Macon and Marietta.

“We believe that access to medical cannabis makes life better, and Trulieve is proud to be the first to provide this access in the state of Georgia,” said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers in a press release at the time of the opening. “We look forward to providing high quality products and a premium experience.”