The Georgia General Assembly this week approved legislation to expand the state’s limited medical cannabis program. Under the bill, patients with a doctor’s recommendation will have access to additional and more potent cannabis products for the treatment of qualifying medical conditions.
The Georgia Senate passed the measure, Senate Bill 220, by a vote of 38-14 on March 18. The state House of Representatives voted 144-21 to approve the bill on March 23, sending it to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for consideration.
Under Georgia’s current program, “low THC oil” products containing no more than 5% THC are available to patients with qualifying conditions. Senate Bill 220 allows “medical cannabis” products, including herbal cannabis for vaporization, with no cap on THC potency.
“It moves our program from a low oil-based THC program to a medical cannabis program, which is how the other 41 states that have these programs are set up,” Botanical Sciences Dispensary CEO Gary Long told WSB-TV.
Patients with qualifying conditions that currently include seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and intractable pain are eligible to get a doctor’s recommendation to use medical cannabis. Senate Bill 220 adds lupus to the list of qualifying conditions, opening the program to additional patients.
‘Low THC Oil’ Program Confusing for Patients
The current system’s official description as a “low THC oil” program has caused confusion among patients and others who may benefit from medical cannabis, according to a recent report from the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.
“Patients explained that when they hear or see the term ‘low THC oil,’ they think it refers to a ‘lower quality’ or ‘cheaper’ product, a hemp product (that contains no more than 0.3% THC), or some other product that would not provide the form of relief they need for their medical conditions. They shared that they would often say or hear from others that they want ‘the real stuff’ and not ‘that low THC oil stuff,’” the commission wrote, according to a report from CBS News.
Republican Rep. Mark Newton, the sponsor of the legislation in the House, told lawmakers that the measure is consistent with recommendations from a House committee that met last year to examine the medical cannabis issue.
“For the patients that this program is designed to serve, it’s not always worked well enough,” Newton said of the low THC oil program. “This bill is an effort to make sure that for the patients, this program works better.”
Instead of a THC percentage limit, Senate Bill 220 sets a cap of 12,000 milligrams of THC for medical cannabis products. Newton said that the new limit more accurately reflects health professionals’ prescribing practices.
“There are other delivery methods, other ways of delivering this medical cannabis, that are more aligned with the way we practice medicine in every other field,” said Newton, who is an emergency medicine physician.
Bill Allows Vaporization as a Delivery Method
The legislation also includes provisions allowing patients age 21 and older to vaporize herbal cannabis and cannabis extracts. Advocates argued that inhalable forms of cannabis, which are prohibited under the low THC oil program, are far more fast-acting and effective for many patients, including those with seizure disorders.
“The oral forms were taking one to two hours, sometimes four hours, to have an effect,” Newton said. “Some people’s conditions, we heard from patients, need some relief more rapidly than that, and so the inhalation version takes care of that.”
Republican Rep. Alan Powell also encouraged support for the legislation in an address on the House floor.
“This is a natural product,” he said. “I have said this from this well before, and I continue to tell you that something that God lets grow naturally is better than anything made in a pharmaceutical laboratory.”
Senate Bill 220 has been forwarded to the governor’s office. Kemp can sign the measure, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.
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The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
