Lawmakers propose raising Georgia's legal age to buy medical marijuana to 21
Leaves of a mature marijuana plant are seen in a display at The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo on April 18, 2010. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Lawmakers have introduced new legislation aiming to raise the age Georgians have to be to buy medical marijuana.
Right now, you have to be 18 years old to legally purchase the drug and other hemp products, but Senate Bill 350 would raise that to 21.
Back in October, Georgia became the first state in the country to allow independent pharmacies to sell cannabis and hemp products. Patients would be able to buy cannabis oil at pharmacies if they show a state-issued low THC oil registry card and identification.
The Georgia Board of Pharmacy began accepting applications from businesses that month, and over 100 pharmacies have agreed to provide medication from Botanical Sciences, one of the state’s two licensed production companies. After they submit applications, inspections of the pharmacies will be required before the board grants approval.
While the state has approved the drug in pharmacies, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration sent a memo telling pharmacies that dispensing the cannabis would violate federal law and may lead to arrests or fines.
DEA warns Georgia pharmacies about medical cannabis
Independent Georgia pharmacies that dispense medical cannabis run the risk of getting shut down. Owners could go to jail. That’s because the DEA says it is not legal under federal law. This, even though the state recently approved pharmacies to dispense the drug.
Medical marijuana is only available to Georgians with approval from a physician to treat severe illnesses including seizures, terminal cancers, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. Low THC oil can contain no more than 5% THC, the compound that gives users a high.
Georgia's first medical marijuana dispensary opened in April 2023. Seven dispensaries are currently open across the state.
You can read the proposed Senate bill below.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.