Georgia medical marijuana advocates react to changes affecting card holders

Caption

Georgia Medical Cannabis Society founders Yolanda Bennett (left) and Angela Weston (right) frequent the Bookstore Gallery, an Atlanta cannabis store, to buy products that help manage their pain.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

The Georgia Department of Public Health has rolled out several changes to the process of receiving medical cannabis cards.

The DPH will increase the cost of cards for low-THC oil from $25 to $30. It will also allow card holders to renew every five years instead of two and have the card shipped to their homes rather than having to pick it up in person.

Angela Weston is the co-founder of the Georgia Medical Cannabis Society. She said they would prefer a system that allows patients to access THC products immediately, similar to the Department of Driver Services.  

“You get your license that same day — even if it's a temporary one — you get something in your hand that same day,” Weston said. “So what we would like to see is for there to be a connection between the Department of Health and the dispensaries.”

Georgia law allows patients with an active card to possess up to 20 ounces of low-dose THC oil. GMCC co-founder Yolanda Bennett said access to products remains an issue for patients because the law is strict about where dispensaries can be located.

“They're concentrated in most of the metropolitan areas,” she said. “The people in the rural communities — you have people down in Valdosta, Tifton, Albany. How far do they have to drive to go get their medication? The closest dispensary to them, it's in Macon.”

The Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission currently recognizes 11 licensed cannabis dispensaries around the state.