By Flower Sales Begin Under New Georgia Law
Medical cannabis dispensaries are now selling the flower form of the drug in Georgia, but a new state law that took effect this summer has created some confusion over how it can be legally consumed. Lawmakers passed a measure earlier this year that overhauled the state’s medical cannabis program by dropping the confusing “low THC oil” branding, allowing dry-herb and oil vaporization, adding qualifying medical conditions and removing previous potency barriers.
The changes quickly triggered significant growth in the number of patients enrolled in the program, with nearly 50,000 patients as of Sept. 2, according to the Department of Public Health.
Limits Remain on How Flower Can Be Used
Smoking flower remains illegal under the new state law known as the Putting Patients First Act, which allows registered patients 21 and older to consume flower and oil at home strictly through vaporization.
“The law is very clear. You can vaporize flower and then of course vaporize the vape oil. So, the only thing that’s allowed in inhalables is vaporizing.
That’s it,” said Newnan Republican state Sen. Matt Brass, the bill’s sponsor, in a phone interview.
Because flower is now being sold in Georgia’s dispensaries and independent pharmacies, retailers are finding themselves at the forefront of educating patients who incorrectly assume the availability of flower means the state legalized traditional smoking.
Program Changes Drive Enrollment Growth
The law’s provisions, including the addition of qualifying medical conditions and the removal of previous potency barriers, took effect this summer. The Department of Public Health reported nearly 50,000 enrolled patients as of Sept.
Registered patients 21 and older may consume flower and oil at home, but only through vaporization.
Dispensaries and independent pharmacies selling flower are educating patients on the legal limits of consumption under the new law.
