Georgia’s First Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Open

Nearly 30,000 medical cannabis patients are registered in Georgia, but for years they have had no option to legally purchase and obtain prescription products.

That changed Friday when the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened for business.

Medical cannabis company Trulieve is behind each retailer in Macon and Marietta.

Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said: press release“We look forward to providing you with quality products and the best possible experience.”

Lawmakers in Georgia passed Haley’s Hope Act in 2015, legalizing medical cannabis treatment. The bill legalized doctors to prescribe cannabis oil containing 5% or less THC to patients suffering from many eligible conditions. Through state medical cannabis commissions“Cancer, if such a diagnosis is terminal or causes treatment-related debilitating illness or refractory nausea and vomiting; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, if such a diagnosis is severe or terminal; seizure disorders associated with a diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma-related head trauma;multiple sclerosis, if such a diagnosis is severe or terminal;Crohn’s disease;mitochondrial disease;parkinson’s disease, if such a diagnosis is severe sickle cell disease, if such diagnosis is severe or terminal; Tourette’s syndrome, if such syndrome is diagnosed as severe; autism spectrum disorder, (a) if the patient is 18 years of age or older; or (b) if the patient is under the age of 18 and is diagnosed with severe autism; epidermolysis bullosa; Alzheimer’s disease, if such disease is severe or terminal; or if such syndrome is severe or terminal. AIDS; severe or end-stage peripheral neuropathy; patient is in a hospice program as an inpatient or outpatient; [and] Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing trauma in patients over the age of 18. “

But full implementation of the law has been plagued by regulatory delays, even as the number of registered medical cannabis patients in the state continues to grow. About 27,000 Georgians are currently enrolled in the program.

“Today marks a new beginning for Georgia with more than 27,000 registered patients,” said Rivers. said in a press release on Friday“Trulieve is equally excited and humbled to bring the first two medical cannabis dispensaries in the state to serve the health and wellness journey of both the Macon and Marietta communities.”

In addition to clinics in Macon and Marietta, Trulieve plans to open three more clinics this year in Columbus, Newnan and Pooler.

“We are proud to open two clinics in both Macon and Marietta to help patients start receiving the medicines they need,” Lisa Pinckney, president of Trulieb Georgia, said in an announcement Friday. “I would also like to congratulate the committee along with the entire Trulieve Georgia team for reaching this milestone after all their hard work. Thank you to both teams for moving.”

In March, lawmakers in Georgia introduced a bill that would increase the number of medical cannabis dispensary licenses available from six to 15.

According to Axios, state medical cannabis customers “sign in and present a state-issued registration card with photo to the receptionist” at pharmacies and “a cross between jewelry stores and Gen Z-friendly wealth.” You enter a showroom that looks like a ‘management company’. ”

“The store carries indica, sativa, and hybrid varieties in tinctures ($40-60) and capsules ($40) and topical ointments ($30).” Reported by Axios“Medical cannabis in Georgia is limited to 5% of THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, which gives users a high.”