ATLANTA — The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission reached a historic milestone after Wednesday's public meeting resulted in issuing the state's first five medical cannabis dispensaries.
Five licenses were issued to Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve GA Inc. for dispensaries in Cobb County, Bibb County and Chatham County.
“The dispensing licenses issued today are just the beginning,” executive director of the GMCC, Andrew Turnage said. “As more dispensaries become licensed, more patients will be reached at locations throughout the state.”
Georgia Department of Public Health's Low-THC Oil Patient Registry has grown from 13,000 patients to over 27,000 patients since 2015. The commission expects this number to grow significantly as patients on the registry garner legal access to medical marijuana for the first time.
The amount of registered patients directly impacts the amount of dispensaries that can be licensed in Georgia. According to the commission, Georgia law allows for each licensee to receive up to five initial dispensing licenses.
A sixth license is issued when the registry reaches over 25,000 patients and additional licenses are issued for every 10,000 patients. Currently, the commission is authorized to issue up to six licenses per licensee.
“Our [Class 1 production] licensees, Botanical and Trulieve, have been working hard to get their production facilities fully operational," Turnage said. "They have each signaled they are ready to sell to registered patients by applying for these initial dispensing licenses."
Dispensaries will be open for business as early as this summer. Commission rules require dispensaries to be fully operation within 120 days of the dispensing license being issued, providing it passes a pre-operational inspection by the commission.
"We look forward to joining the two companies for their dispensary grand openings as they begin to provide low-THC oil and products to Georgia patients," Turnage said.
The commission is hoping to issue more licenses throughout the year and provide patients more access to medical cannabis.
“The work of the commission has always been focused on ‘access,’ as mentioned in the agency’s name for our patients, and we are committed to ensuring that they receive the relief that they have waited years for," Turnage said.