Georgia Medical Cannabis Registrations Increase Sharply Following Program Expansion  

Medical cannabis patient registrations in Georgia have topped 41,400, with 4,700 patients registering with the program since its expansion took effect on July 1, 11Alive reports. The expansion law eliminated the state’s 5% THC cap on cannabis products, added new qualifying conditions, permitted the production and sale of THC-infused gummies and cannabis flower, albeit it for vaping purposes only.  

The state Department of Health is reporting more than double the number of new patient registrations in the first three weeks since the program expanded compared to the number of new patients registered in the prior three weeks, the report says. 

At the beginning of June, there were about 34,000 active medical cannabis patients in the state, and by the end of the month, there were 36,703 registered medical cannabis patients in the state.  

The program expansion added new conditions to the program, such as lupus and autism, but it also changed how some conditions qualified. Prior to the expansion, conditions like multiple sclerosis, cancer, or Parkinson’s had to be end-state or severe; under the new rules, the conditions no longer have to be severe, giving greater discretion to physicians to recommend medical cannabis earlier in the treatment process.