Georgia’s small medical cannabis market promises strong growth if Gov. Brian Kemp signs an MMJ expansion proposal lawmakers sent to his desk this week.
The changes in Senate Bill 220, approved by the state House of Representatives on Monday, are expected to finally supercharge Georgia’s stagnant MMJ program, The Current reported.
Georgia’s medical cannabis program is currently limited to “low THC oil” that’s capped to products with no more than 5% THC.
That’s kept enrollment low, with 34,500 registered patients out of a statewide population of 11.3 million – the lowest adoption rate of any MMJ program in the country, Gary Long, CEO of licensed MMJ company Botanical Sciences, told The Current.
Georgia medical cannabis patient base and industry expected to expand
But more Georgians might try medical cannabis if they could access higher THC products and cannabis in a form that can be vaporized – two of the improvements promised by SB 220.
According to the Marijuana Policy Project, if Kemp signs SB 220 into law:
- Cannabis patients could possess up to 12 grams of THC, with no THC percentage cap on products
- Vaporizable products will be allowed for patients 21 and over
- More medical conditions will qualify a patient for enrollment, including lupus
“These are badly needed improvements,” Shannon Cloud, whose daughter suffers from seizures and is enrolled in the medical cannabis program, told The Current.
How the Georgia medical marijuana industry could grow
Opening Georgia’s MMJ program to more products – and to more patients – could also expand business opportunities.
Current law also restricts the number of business licenses to:
- Six cultivation licenses
- 15 retail licenses, six of which are held by Tallahassee, Florida-headquartered Trulieve Cannabis Corp.
- One independent cannabis testing laboratory
Another retail license becomes available with 10,000 additional patients.
Notably, Georgia also allows independent general pharmacies to sell the low-THC oil currently on offer.
Georgia’s program has added fewer than 10,000 patients since November 2024, according to state data.
The federal hemp THC ban could also encourage Georgia cannabis consumers currently sourcing products from hemp-derived offerings to enroll in the program.
