Georgia Will Be First State to Sell Marijuana at Pharmacies
Medical marijuana will soon be available in Georgia pharmacies
Medical marijuana will soon be available in pharmacies in Georgia.
The state is set to become the first in the U.S. to legalize the purchase of products containing THC at local pharmacies this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this month.
Per CNN, before 2023 ends, residents “who meet the extremely narrow criteria” required by the medical cannabis law will be able to purchase low-dose THC products at state pharmacies to treat various ailments.
This week, Gary Long, the CEO of medical cannabis company Botanical Sciences, told CNN that he wants Georgia officials to let go of negative connotations surrounding the plant’s extracts.
“They think that we’re going to be selling joints out of a pharmacy or something and that’s not right,” Long told CNN Friday. According to the Botanical Sciences website, the company is Georgia’s first physician-owned medical cannabis provider and that “89% of Georgia’s population will have access to Botanic Sciences products within a 30-minute drive.”
The medical cannabis law lists applicable conditions for caregivers and/or patients as cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, seizure disorders, Parkinson’s disease, sickle cell disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others. Terms and conditions apply.
Legally, dosages of THC purchased in Georgia will not be able to exceed 5%.
And while patients who meet the criteria for the Low THC Oil Patient Registry won't be able to pick up cannabis products at large chains such as Walgreens or CVS, CNN adds that there are over 400 independent pharmacies within the state of Georgia that can participate in the program.
Mindy Leech, a pharmacist and the owner of Lee-King Pharmacy in Newnan, is all for introducing medical marijuana to Georgia residents.
“Pharmacists are a trusted provider, and it’s a way for us to destigmatize this new medicine,” she said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It will make people more comfortable if they want to come in and ask questions about it.”
Atlanta’s WSB-TV also spoke independent drugstore owners within the state such as Derek Chapman, the current steward of Hapeville’s only pharmacy. He says he's excited about what’s to come. Pharmacies in Georgia will have to meet certain requirements for dispensing low-THC products, among those are a designated customer consultation area and the proper destruction of expired THC products,
Although his drugstore has been serving the community for over a century, this week marks the beginning of the application process to sell medical cannabis oil to residents who hold a legal prescription and a registry card.
Related: Jim Belushi Believes Brother John Would Be Alive If He Used Medical Marijuana
“I think it’ll be a good thing for patients. Like, for instance, I have a daughter who has seizures, so it could be beneficial to her, and other patients like her. We’re going through the process now to get all that approved,” Chapman said.
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On Friday, Andrew Turnage, chair of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Oil Commission, told WSB-TV the implementation will make the new form of healthcare more accessible to community members.
“It’s just a 15-to-20-minute drive from where patients are located across the state. That’s going to be so much easier for them to get access,” Turnage said.
Chapman added, “Just having another choice will be great for us, honestly. It’ll probably be good business for us as well.”
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