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.