Why is Georgia’s medical marijuana program still in limbo?
Years after GA passed legislation allowing the sale of medicinal cannabis, patients and businesses are still awaiting the next steps
In April, Georgia lawmakers failed to reach a compromise on a long-awaited medical cannabis bill that would have allowed companies to start growing and selling cannabis oil to registered patients as early as June.
Patients hoped House Bill 1425 would move forward by granting manufacturing licenses to six companies by June 7 at the latest. But the bill fell short by a vote.
Medical cannabis use has been legal in Georgia since 2015. But the state’s more than 22,000 patients are still waiting for licensed companies to legally offer their drugs.
Right now, a medical certificate can help if your car smells like weed during a traffic stop or you need to justify a failed THC test to an employer or probation officer. But not much else.
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Both the state Senate and House of Representatives approved bills earlier this year to move things forward, but the lack of a vote means another lengthy delay for access to licensed medical cannabis in Georgia.
“We were promised access and here we are seven years later and we’re still waiting,” Shannon Cloud of Smyrna, Georgia, told CBS 46 in Atlanta.
Cloud’s daughter Alaina has a rare form of epilepsy and cannabis oil provides relief. But her family hasn’t been able to legally buy her drugs thanks to the delays. “We never thought she would almost be of adulthood before we got to the point where we would actually get the oil. It’s crazy,” added Cloud.
politics as always
In 2021, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission announced the six license winners. The announcement was immediately rebuffed by many who applied for licenses.
The new measure would have allowed for an additional three licenses but did not answer questions about transparency and social justice that stakeholders in many states have for legislators and regulators.
Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler voted against the bill because she felt it would be counterproductive to pass it while lawsuits are pending from companies that have lost a chance to get a license.
The commission plans to complete hearings on 16 protests from losing companies by the end of June, and could then potentially proceed to award licenses to six winning companies.
Patients across the state will be waiting until then, including Chris Brown, national director of the National Cannabis Party (NCP), a political party registered with the Federal Elections Commission to represent the cannabis industry.
“Georgia is in a place where doing what’s right for patients can result in higher long-term costs for patients, caregivers, and those seeking alternative treatments and therapeutics,” Brown says, since the laws in many counties of Georgia can still severely penalize cannabis possession.
The NCP helps and supports registered voters in favor of cannabis by identifying pain points at the community level, and sits at the table on behalf of the entire cannabis industry in Washington.
“The Complainants, the six awardees, the Cannabis Commission and lawmakers should continue to plan how to put patients at the forefront of their plans. It is uncertain how we will proceed before the next session, but you all have our collective interest and trust as Georgia patients; we look,”
Chris Brown National Director of the National Cannabis Party
Brown and other supporters want to know more about the next steps after the failed bill: “Where are minorities and those who are still being targeted and criminalized for trying to find relief from the racial trauma and political indifference that the… Physical quality of life problems worsen? elements and diseases? All of this during the pandemic that occurred in the midst of an opioid epidemic?”
The Atlanta metro area has been hit particularly hard by opioid overdoses in the past decade. New studies continue to show that cannabis is beneficial in both treating opioid addiction and lifestyle factors that can trigger opioid abuse.
Who will stand up for Georgia’s pot patients?
Until business licenses are issued, there will be no way for patients to legally access cannabis oil, leaving thousands of Georgians in limbo. Brown and other residents are looking for leaders who will get up and act sooner rather than later.
“This is an election year; We need leaders who can make things happen and have our best interests at the top,” Brown said.
Days after the law failed to pass, Gov. Brian Kemp said he would look at ways to boost the program.
“We were very supportive of that. We’ve been struggling to get something done, but now that the session is over we’re still focused on getting the licenses out and going through the process we originally had,” Gov. Kemp said.
One of nine questions about an upcoming Georgia Democrat primary is asking midterm voters: “Should marijuana be legalized for adults 21 and over, taxed and regulated the same way alcohol is, with proceeds going to education, infrastructure, and health programs?” ”
The answer is definitive. The real question should be: Will GA lawmakers be able to create a market for adult use faster than they were able to provide medical access?
soft king
Mehka King has spent his career as a journalist and content creator. Since 2017, he has polled cannabis activists, politicians, business leaders, athletes and entertainers on their views on cannabis for the CashColorCannabis.com network.
Check out Mehka King’s articles
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