Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed SB 220 on Tuesday, expanding the state's medical cannabis program by adding qualifying conditions, permitting vaporization for adult patients, and revising THC possession limits.
Lupus joins the list of conditions qualifying patients for access, alongside cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, ALS, autism spectrum disorder, and intractable pain. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass (R), also removes the requirement that patients with many conditions be in a severe or end-stage status to enter the program.
The law — formally the Putting Georgia's Patients First Act — permits vaping for patients 21 and older while maintaining a smoking ban for all patients. Previously permitted formats (oils, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals, and transdermal patches) remain available. The existing 5 percent THC potency cap is replaced by a 12,000-milligram per-patient possession limit. The bill also substitutes "medical cannabis" for "low THC oil" throughout current law.
In his signing statement, Kemp noted the bill "passed with a constitutional majority in both chambers of the General Assembly" and addressed recreational legalization concerns directly: "I, like many of those who expressed opposition to this bill, have reservations about the legalization of recreational cannabis. Many states that have legalized recreational cannabis have come to regret that decision. I also recognize that for some patients, medical cannabis provides significant relief to symptoms that would otherwise go untreated or would be treated with even more harmful opioids." He continued: "I do not believe that a well-implemented medical cannabis program must inevitably lead to the legalization of recreational use in Georgia, nor is the question of recreational use anywhere in the bill on my desk for signature."
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission gains a new obligation to conduct public awareness activities — publishing materials and running outreach to inform the public, law enforcement, and healthcare providers about the program and its potential patient benefits.
Last year, House leaders established a Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia's Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies to review the state's cannabis laws. Georgia lawmakers have also considered legislation to support research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.
