Frequently asked questions

A:  No. The law does not make the sale, or possession, of all types of marijuana legal in Georgia. Possession of any form of marijuana by an unauthorized person is, and remains, a violation of state and federal law. Georgia law only authorizes the legal possession of up to 12,000 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") by a registered patient or caregiver with a valid Medical Cannabis Registry Card. 

Resource:  To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

A:  Beginning July 1, 2026 Georgia law expanded the types of products available for a registered patient or caregiver to purchase at a licensed dispensary or independent pharmacy. Production facilities licensed and regulated by the Commission are authorized to manufacture oils, tinctures, transdermal patches, lotions, capsules, ingestibles, and vaporizers. Vaporizer products ("vapes") include medical cannabis flower for vaporization as well as concentrate or "extract" vaporizoration devices. Georgia law strictly prohibits the smoking of cannabis products and the production of candies and cookies. The product limit is 1,200 mg of tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") per package. Georgia law only authorizes the legal possession of up to 12,000 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") by a registered patient or caregiver with a valid Medical Cannabis Registry Card. Possession of any form of marijuana by an unauthorized person is, and remains, a violation of state and federal law. 

Resources: 

• Find a licensed medical cannabis dispensary

• Verify the license of a medical cannabis product manufacturer 

• To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

A: Georgia law (O.C.G.A. §16-12-191) requires three components must be present for lawful possession of medical cannabis:  

1. The total amount of medical cannabis products is 12,000 milligrams or less of tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC");

2. The person is registered with, and has in his or her possession a physical or electronic registration card issued by, the Georgia Department of Public Health ("DPH"); and 

3. The medical cannabis is in a pharmaceutical container labeled as such by the manufacturer indicating the amount of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol therein.

Resource:  To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

A:  There are four categories of eligibility to apply for a medical cannabis registry card: 

1. An adult who has one or more of the 18 qualifying medical conditions specified in the law; 

2. A parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a patient, who is less than 18 years of age, who has one or more of the qualifying medical conditions specified in the law;

3. An adult who is designated by a patient as being an individual authorized to provide assistance, and who is willing to provide such assistance, with purchasing, possessing, and administering medical cannabis or products for such patient's use; or

4. A health care institution as defined in Code Section 51-1-29.6 where a patient is receiving health or medical care for a condition and where such institution agrees to allow such patient to possess and use medical cannabis or products on such institution's premises.

Resource:  Visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website for more information about applying

A:  Georgia law lists the following 18 medical conditions as qualifying for the Medical Cannabis Patient Registry: 

• Any cancer, except skin cancer, unless it is metastatic skin cancer; 

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;

• Seizure disorders related to diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma related head injuries;

• Multiple sclerosis;

• Inflammatory bowel disease ("IBD"); 

• Mitochondrial disease;

• Parkinson’s disease;

• Sickle cell disease;

• Tourette’s syndrome;

• Autism spectrum disorder, when (a) patient is 18 years of age or more or, (b) patient is less than 18 years of age and diagnosed with severe autism;

• Epidermolysis bullosa;

• Alzheimer’s disease;

• Human immunodeficiency virus ("HIV"), when such disease is diagnosed as Stage III;

• Peripheral neuropathy, when symptoms are severe; 

• Patient is in hospice program, either as inpatient or outpatient;

• Intractable pain;

• Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma for a patient who is at least 18 years of age; or

• Lupus

Resource:  Visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website for more information

A: Medical cannabis cards are issued by the Georgia Department of Public Health ("DPH"). To check the status of your card, please visit the Georgia Department of Public Health’s website.

Resource:  Visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website for more information

A:  Patients register with the Georgia Department of Public Health. You should first consult with your primary care physician or qualifying specialist regarding your condition. The law allows fully licensed physicians, with a principal practice location in Georgia, to certify and manage patients who have a qualifying condition to obtain a medical cannabis patient registry card. ​Physician certification is the only way patients can obtain a medical cannabis patient registry card to legally access medical cannabis in the state. 

Resource: Visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website for more information

A:  Registered patients with an active Medical Cannabis Patient Registry Card can lawfully purchase safe, laboratory tested cannabis products at a dispensary licensed by the Commission, or at an independent pharmacy licensed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. 

Find a licensed medical cannabis dispensary in Georgia:
www.gmcc.ga.gov/patients/dispensaries

Find an independent pharmacy licensed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy:
https://gadch.mylicense.com/verification/Search.aspx?facility=Y ➚

A:  Every medical cannabis product regulated by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission is required to list the name and license number of the originating production facility, the laboratory testing information, and product safety information on either its packaging or labeling. A list of all currently licensed entities can be found on the Commission's 'Verify a License' website page. All medical cannabis products regulated by the Commission are required to undergo product safety testing and achieve a passing certificate of analysis before being made available for purchase. Additionally, medical cannabis products in Georgia may only be purchased by registered patients at a dispensary licensed by the Commission, or at an independent pharmacy licensed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy.

Resource: Verify the license of a medical cannabis product manufacturer in Georgia

A:  It depends. Georgia law provides that a patient in lawful possession of a valid registration card issued by another state that allows the 'same possession of medical cannabis as Georgia law,' and who has been in Georgia for less than 45 days, then that patient's card may be recognized. Cannabis programs are state-based, and vary from state to state; there is no 'reciprocity' between Georgia and other states for medical cannabis.

Resource: Visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website for more information

A:  No two states have the same cannabis laws. Although 47 states now regulate cannabis in some form, no two states have laws that are exactly alike. Georgia’s medical cannabis laws were expanded effective July 1,  2026 to create a comprehensive medical cannabis market for registered patients, adding new product types and conditions. Certain aspects of Georgia law are more limited than those in other states. For example, it does not legalize the growing, sale, or possession of marijuana in plant or leaf form by registered patients. Some states refer to this as "home grow." It does not authorize the production, sale, or ingestion of food products infused with medical cannabis, or the inhalation of medical cannabis through smoking. Smoking cannabis is still prohibited by state law. And, it does not authorize physicians to 'prescribe' marijuana for medical use. Physicians must certify patients in order to gain access to the patient registry. Georgia's law is intended to protect persons with an active Medical Cannabis Registry Card from criminal prosecution for lawfully possessing up to 12,000 milligrams of THC.

Resource:  To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

A:  No provisions of the federal rescheduling order legalize marijuana. Possession of any form of marijuana by an unauthorized person is, and remains, a violation of state and federal law. Federal rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III became effective April 22, 2026. The Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration order rescheduled cannabis that is produced and regulated under a state-licensed medical cannabis program to schedule III. However, a patient registry card is still needed to purchase medical cannabis in Georgia. And, patients still need to comply with state law to purchase and possess medical cannabis.  

Resources:  

• To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

• President's Executive Order to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act

• US Department of Justice Press Release: State-issued licensee marijuana rescheduled to  Schedule III 

• US DOJ DEA 21 CFR Parts 1300, 1301, 1308, 1312 - AG Order No. 6754-2026 

• CANNRA Brief: Implications if Marijuana is Rescheduled to Schedule III

A:  The botanical terms can mean the same thing. The legal terms have different meanings.  In most states "medical marijuana" is a legal term that often refers to registration programs in other states for patients to grow, possess, and smoke their own marijuana; in legal terms Georgia is not a "medical marijuana" state. Growing, possessing, and smoking marijuana are criminal offenses in Georgia punishable by fines and imprisonment. The law establishes Georgia as a"medical cannabis" patient registry state, which means there is a lawful pathway for patients registered with the Georgia Department of Public Health, after certifying with a doctor or physician, to purchase and possess 12,000 milligrams or less of regulated products. 

Resource:  To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

A:  No. It is, and remains, a violation of state and federal law for unauthorized businesses or persons to grow, transport, or sell any form of marijuana. Businesses licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission may grow medical cannabis for the purpose of manufacturing product approved in Georgia. Only Dispensaries licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, or Indendent Pharmacies licensed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy, may sell medical cannabis products in Georgia. 

Resource:  To read Georgia law and find more information, visit the Commission's Rules & Georgia Law page

A: The Georgia Department of Agriculture licenses and regulates hemp, including cultivation, harvesting, processing, and distribution, as well as the sale of hemp derived products, beverages, and gummies in Georgia.

Resource:  Visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture website for more information