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Georgia Medical Marijuana Regulators Approve New Dispensary License As More Patients Register For Program

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6 months ago

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“We will likely open up an application option for our production licensees, which means more access for patients.”

Author: Alander Rocha, Georgia Recorder

Georgia’s Medical Cannabis Access Commission approved a new dispensary license Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 19, after a high patient enrollment threshold that triggered expansion under state law.

The board’s executive director, Andrew Turnage, said the program passed the 25,000 active patient mark some time ago, which allowed the board to approve the additional license. The board voted unanimously to grant a distribution license to FFD Georgia Holdings for a location in Atlanta. The company was the only applicant.

“I always like to share the update when it comes to the number of registered patients because we will likely open up an application option for our production licensees, which means more patient access,” Turnage told the board.

The program is also on track to accept additional licenses, with the number of active patients now at 33,314, moving toward the 35,000 threshold. The law authorizes the commission to issue additional distribution licenses after the 25,000 mark is reached by 10,000 patients.

But despite some progress, the public comment period was dominated by urgent and frustrated expressions from speakers who said the program’s scope is restrictive and limits access and effectiveness. The main complaints centered on product restrictions and stringent qualification requirements, with patients, advocates and other citizens calling for changes that would require legislative action.

The Georgia program, created a decade ago, limits participation to patients with certain conditions, including cancer or seizure disorders. But for some conditions, state law requires that the diagnosis be severe or end-stage.

Lawmakers have considered expanding the program in recent years, and a House study group is examining Georgia’s medical marijuana policies.

Dr. Elmore Alexander, medical director of US 420 Doc, an online service that offers cannabis card reviews, said Georgia’s low-THC oil program lacks the necessary delivery methods to adequately treat patients with complex conditions. The program is “not a mercy program,” he said, and currently banned methods, such as smoke inhalation, could help patients with sudden onset of symptoms like post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I don’t have enough products to take care of (my patients). I don’t have enough,” Alexander said, adding that the state needs to expand the program to include more products that address different conditions.

Several speakers, including former Rep. Micah Gravley, a key figure in the passage of Georgia’s cannabis law, called for the removal of the “serious and terminal” caveats that currently apply to many conditions. They argued that these vague conditions create confusion for doctors because they are not medically based and prevent patients from accessing treatment before their conditions become terminal.

Gravley, who said the state supports expanding the program, said the program’s limited scope was due to a lack of industry knowledge among lawmakers at the time the law was passed.

“I think you had a lot of legislators who were very cautious, who were very nervous to do this, and they really saw the tone and the tenor of the parents their children were putting down, the caregivers were testifying about family members, and so they went out on a limb. Unfortunately, at that time, the limb was too short,” Gravley said.

This story was first published by the Georgia Recorder.

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Livermore Falls debates cannabis licensing fees

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9 hours ago

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May 13, 2026

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Existing medical cannabis licensing fees will be temporarily applied to recreational marijuana businesses, the Select Committee decided on May 5. Board members agreed 4-1 to the temporary change, as long as officials say the fees are higher than necessary and accurately reflect the town’s oversight costs.

Bryce Cobb, Livermore Falls’ code enforcement officer, plumbing inspector, health officer and E-911 dispatcher, said voters approved the amended cannabis ordinance on April 28. Cobb said the amended ordinance allows recreational marijuana businesses and the next step was to establish a fee schedule. Recreational cannabis businesses operating in town would require local licensing approval under the ordinance.

Asked if he had fee schedules from other towns to compare, Cobb said he did not. Additionally, the town’s fee schedule specifically mentions medicinal cannabis.

“So it could be medical and adult use,” Cobb said when discussing whether the existing fee structure could apply to recreational businesses.

Read more at Sun Magazine










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Georgia Governor Signs Bill To Expand Medical Marijuana Access By Allowing Vaping And Adding New Qualifying Conditions

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9 hours ago

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May 13, 2026

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The governor of Georgia has signed a bill expand access to medical marijuana in the state.

SB 220, which was approved by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Tuesday, will add new requirements to the program, allow patients to vape medical cannabis, and change THC potency limits, among other reforms.

Under the legislation, patients with lupus will be allowed access to medical marijuana, under current state law that allows people with cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, autism spectrum disorder, intractable pain and other conditions to qualify.

The bill by Sen. Matt Brass (R) removes many of the requirements for a patient to be in a critical or terminal condition to enter the medical cannabis program.

The reform will also expand how patients can use medical marijuana. Until now, they have been able to obtain oils, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals and transdermal patches, but the new law will also allow vaping as a form of vaping for patients over 21, while continuing to ban smoking for all patients.

The Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act also replaces the current 5 percent THC potency limit on medical cannabis products with a limit of 12,000 milligrams of THC that a patient can possess at any one time.

“These changes, while meaningful to affected patients, do not materially change where Georgia stands in the national landscape on this issue,” Kemp said in a signing statement. “This bill passed with a constitutional majority in both houses of the General Assembly.”

“I, like many who opposed this bill, have reservations about legalizing recreational cannabis. Many states that have legalized recreational cannabis have regretted that decision,” he said. “I also recognize that for some patients, medical cannabis provides significant relief from symptoms that would otherwise be untreated or treated with even more harmful opioids.”

“I do not believe that a well-implemented medical cannabis program should inevitably lead to the legalization of recreational use in Georgia, nor is the issue of recreational use on the bill on my desk for signature,” the governor said.

The invoice also replaces references to “low THC oil” in current laws with “medical cannabis.”

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The Georgia Medical Cannabis Access Commission, which oversees the program, “will have a new duty to inform citizens, law enforcement and health care providers about the effective uses of medical cannabis and its products, including publishing materials and conducting outreach and public education activities to inform the public, law enforcement and health care providers about this state’s medical cannabis program and the potential benefits for patients.”

Last year, the leaders of the Chamber a Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies to examine state cannabis laws.

Georgia lawmakers have also considered the legislation supporting research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

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EU regulators say Charlotte’s Web hemp CBD safety “cannot be established”

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1 day ago

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May 12, 2026

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The growing tension between international scientific findings and US health policy has raised questions about whether Medicare beneficiaries are being exposed to cannabinoid products whose safety profiles have not been fully established.

In March 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a formal scientific evaluation of a shipment of Charlotte’s Web hemp product, concluding that the safety of a carbon dioxide extract derived from Cannabis sativa L. “cannot be established”. The agency identified several gaps in the available data, including significant portions of the product remaining uncharacterized, a lack of reliable toxicological studies on the actual material, a lack of human clinical data, and an unknown allergenicity and long-term safety profile.

At the same time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) program. The initiative allows participating healthcare providers to discuss and supply certain hemp and marijuana-derived cannabinoid products to Medicare beneficiaries under the authority of the Center for Innovation, and does not require approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. That distinction is at issue in a pending federal case: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), et al. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. et al., Case 1:26-cv-01081 (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia).

Under the FDA’s standard framework, products intended for therapeutic use typically undergo controlled clinical trials, dose standardization, safety and toxicology evaluation, and manufacturing and stability validation. The BEI program operates outside of this structure. Some observers point out that this could introduce products into federally funded care settings before those benchmarks are met, while proponents of the program characterize it as a legitimate model of innovation.

Medicare beneficiaries represent a medically complex population, with many patients managing multiple medications, chronic conditions, and increased susceptibility to drug interactions. Cannabinoid compounds, including THC, interact with metabolic pathways such as CYP450 enzymes, which process many common medications. The safety profile of these products in this population has not been fully characterized through controlled studies.

Following the launch of the program, several companies publicly announced their positioning within the emerging healthcare supply chain. Charlotte’s Web highlighted alignment with CMS drivers and Cornbread Hemp announced institutional distribution through a national group buying organization, reflecting broader commercialization activity in the category.

SAM v. In Kennedy, the court is evaluating whether CMS overstepped its statutory authority by introducing avenues for the supply of cannabinoids without formal regulations, public notice and comment, or FDA validation standards. A resolution will determine whether the program is scaled back, modified, or stopped pending further review as implemented.

The EFSA’s conclusion does not ban the marketing of CBD products, but indicates that the scientific evidence necessary to fully establish their safety remains incomplete. The political debate reflects a broader question in health care regulation: how to balance the pace of innovation for therapeutic products with the standards of evidence typically required in federally funded systems of care.

Source: MMJ International Holdings

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