In the past several decades, marijuana (or cannabis) reform has swept the nation. California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. Nearly 30 years later, 40 states have passed legislation legalizing medical cannabis with 24 legalizing recreational use.
Georgia joined the ranks in 2019 when Gov. Brian Kemp signed Georgia’s Hope Act into law. As a result, medical patients in Georgia can legally access a variety of marijuana products made with low-THC oil. In order to get a medical card and legally possess, purchase, and use the products available at a Georgia cannabis dispensary, applicants must meet specific requirements.
If you’re hoping to secure a card yourself, here are all of the need-to-know essentials to get started!
What Are the Current Marijuana Laws in Georgia?
While many states have their own legal programs, both medical and recreational cannabis remain illegal on a federal level.
As a result, each state with a legal medical or recreational marijuana program has its own unique laws. Georgia is no exception, with its own set of distinct regulations to consider.
Recreational Marijuana Laws
In Georgia, cannabis remains illegal for recreational use. Possession of one ounce or less is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $1,000, while possession over one ounce is a felony punishable by a sentence of one to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Possession with intent to distribute, sales, delivery, and cultivation of any amount of marijuana in Georgia are all felony charges, with jail time and fines depending on the amount of cannabis involved.
Given trends across the U.S., it’s likely the state will eventually move to legalize recreational marijuana. Once this happens, adults without a medical card would be able to legally purchase from a Georgia dispensary. Today, the only legal way to buy, possess, and consume cannabis is through the state’s medical marijuana program.
Medical Marijuana Laws
Georgia has its own legal medical cannabis program, but it’s more limited than most.
Georgia’s medical program only allows licensed dispensaries to sell products containing low-THC cannabis oil with no more than 5% THC. To purchase, you must have a valid medical card from Georgia or another state (so long as the state also allows the same possession of low-THC oil as Georgia law and licensees have been in the state less than 45 days).
Even though a Georgia medical dispensary cannot legally carry or sell options like cannabis flower, patients still have access to a variety of products including tinctures, topicals, capsules, and other ingestible products.
Obtaining a Medical Marijuana Card in Georgia
To legally access the wide array of unique, therapeutic options available at Georgia dispensaries, you must have a valid medical marijuana card.
There are a few important requirements to receive a physician certification for medical cannabis:
Age and Residency
If you are applying for a medical marijuana card in Georgia, you must be a resident within the state. There is no minimum age requirement, but a parent or legal guardian must apply on behalf of minors with one or more qualifying conditions.
To prove Georgia residency, applicants must provide proof of address through a valid state- or government-issued ID or driver’s license. Only residents who have lived in Georgia for a year or longer are eligible.
Qualifying Conditions
Like other states, patients must have one or more of the following conditions to meet medical card requirements and access products from a Georgia medical marijuana dispensary.
Georgia’s current qualifying conditions include:
- AIDS*
- Alzheimer’s disease*
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis*, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage
- Autism spectrum disorder (those 18 and younger must be diagnosed with severe autism)
- Cancer (end-stage diagnosis or when treatment leads to wasting illness or recalcitrant nausea and vomiting)
- Crohn’s disease
- Epidermolysis bullosa
- Intractable pain
- Mitochondrial disease
- Multiple sclerosis*
- Parkinson’s disease*
- Patient is in hospice program (inpatient or outpatient)
- Peripheral neuropathy*
- Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma (must be over 18 and over)
- Seizure disorders associated with epilepsy or trauma-related head injuries
- Sickle cell disease*
- Tourette’s syndrome*
*must be severe (or end stage as applicable)
Steps to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Georgia
Once you understand the requirements, the process for qualifying Georgia residents to secure a medical card is fairly simple.
Make an Appointment with a Licensed Medical Marijuana Doctor
When you are ready to apply for a medical marijuana card in Georgia, making your appointment with a licensed MMJ doctor is the first step.
Be prepared to provide some information on your medical history along with a fee for the visit, which can vary but typically covers the consultation fee, physician copay, and medical evaluation.
Complete Doctor Consultation
Once your appointment is scheduled, it’s time for the consultation itself.
Applicants can choose between an in-person or online telehealth appointment. During the appointment, you and your physician will discuss your qualifying condition(s), your specific needs and symptoms, and the ways medical cannabis can help. This is also a great time to ask your doctor any questions you may have about medical marijuana treatment.
The outcome is entirely based on a physician’s own judgment after the evaluation, so an appointment does not guarantee approval for a medical card.
Receive Card
After your physician and the Department of Public Health approve your medical cannabis license, they will issue and mail the card to your address. You can generally expect to receive your card within 10 business days.
Those without a permanent or secure mailing address, and anyone using a P.O. Box, can pick up their card at the nearest health department location. The Department will send a notification when the card is ready for pickup, and patients must present a valid state- or government-issued ID.
Patients can also check card status throughout the process.
Start Shopping!
Once you have your card, congratulations! You are ready to visit a licensed dispensary and take advantage of the many therapeutic options available.
A Georgia medical marijuana card is active for five years, and patients must consult their physician before their card is set to expire if they want to renew it.
There are still a limited number of licensed medical dispensaries in Georgia. Fortunately, Fine Fettle already has three locations that medical patients can explore in Athens, Decatur, and Smyrna.
Stay tuned, as Fine Fettle locations in Evans, Macon, and Peachtree Corners are coming soon.
The Future of Medical Marijuana in Georgia
There’s never been a better time to get your medical card in Georgia. There are already a ton of high-quality products to explore, but the state’s medical cannabis laws could become even more expansive in the future.
Two pieces of legislation currently moving through the state legislature could usher in a new era for medical marijuana in Georgia:
House Bill 227 would make a number of changes to improve patient access to the program, remove requirements that certain diagnoses be “severe or end stage,” and add Lupus to the list of qualifying conditions.
Senate Bill 220 would create even more options for medical patients seeking relief. If passed, it would expand the medical program to allow all parts and derivatives of the cannabis plant to be used for medical purposes, along with removing a ban on vaping cannabis oil and other products.
We’ll have to wait and see, but the future is promising as the Georgia cannabis world continues to grow.
Start Your Medical Cannabis Journey
If you meet the conditions for a medical marijuana card in Georgia and want to get started, Fine Fettle is here to help.
First-time patients in Georgia can receive their medical card for $89.99, with $40 patient transfers and $89.99 renewals by scheduling an appointment here.
For anyone looking for personalized guidance and additional assistance through the process, Fine Fettle has your back with our Doctor Days. These events are held in-store and allow prospective patients to receive personalized guidance, learn more about the benefits of medical cannabis, and move smoothly through the licensing process.
As soon as you’re licensed, come by one of our locations to check out Fine Fettle’s expansive inventory of medicinal products. Our staff will happily help you find the best options for your needs, fully embracing the relief the medical cannabis has to offer!
