Georgia May Open Up CBD Program to Business Opportunities

Georgia is considering expanding its CBD program to allow for the production and distribution of cannabis-derived medicine, which could create opportunities for businesses to get involved.

A state medical cannabis commission is studying ways to provide CBD-based products to registered patients and determining whether Georgia should move forward in this regard, according to the Associated Press. The commission will make recommendations to state by the end of the year.

Georgia’s law allows for the possession and use of CBD oils, particularly for the treatment of seizure disorders. But there’s no way for patients to obtain the medicine without breaking the law, as the state didn’t set up a system to produce and sell the drug.

Patients therefore have to obtain CBD oils illegally, often by traveling outside of Georgia to purchase such oils and bring them home.

Nearly 200 patients have already qualified for the program, while 166 physicians in the state have been approved to recommend CBD to patients.

If the commission decides that CBD oils should be readily available for patients and the state moves forward with its recommendations, then an industry could arise around the program. Such a move also could lead to further medical cannabis reforms in the South.

Only two of the 15 states that have legalized CBD – Florida and Missouri – also pave the way for business opportunities.