The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission took a step toward approving cannabis cultivation licenses earlier this month, but stopped short of announcing winners.

Patients have been waiting for Georgia to establish its medical cannabis industry since the Legislature passed and then-governor Nathan Deal signed Haleigh’s Hope Act in 2015. 

Until recently, plants from only one U.S. facility were approved for use in research. Adding new suppliers will accelerate understanding of cannabis' health effects and possible therapeutic uses.