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Metro area dispensary president calls for more change after GDPH effort to address delays

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Updated  October 29, 2024 12:23am EDT
Cannabis
FOX 5 Atlanta

Patients push to make low THC oil access easier

Changes to Georgia's Medical Cannabis Program could make it easier for patients to get on the registry but some say more needs to be done to help patients.

The Brief

    • Georgia's medical cannabis program is undergoing improvements to ease patient access to THC oil, including longer card validity and new online payment options.
    • The state's Department of Public Health has extended the card validity from two years to five years and has provided mail delivery options to reduce wait times for processing.
    • Despite improvements, stakeholders, including patients and dispensary owners, indicate that there is still room for progress, such as same-day card availability and expansion to other THC products.
    • The cost for renewing the medical cannabis registry has been increased to $30 for a five-year period.

ATlANTA - Changes are coming to Georgia’s medical cannabis program. The Georgia Department of Public Health announced several new policies intended to make it easier for patients on the state registry to gain access to THC oil.

The president of Fine Fettle, one of six licensed dispensaries in the state, tells FOX 5 changes to streamline the process are welcome, but there’s still a long way to go.

"We’re really just trying to bring the focus back to the patients here," Judson Hill said Monday. 

That focus has been a force for Hill, who says he is one of thousands of Georgians on the state’s medical cannabis registry.

"I’m actually a patient myself…I was T-boned by a semi-truck 14 years ago, and I have intractable pain," he stated.

His business—one of three licensed to sell and cultivate cannabis in the state and his pain—has been key in the pursuit to see expanded access to medical cannabis statewide.

"We’ve really seen cannabis be able to help provide healing to people who weren’t able to find it otherwise," Hill said.

It’s been a long process, but earlier this month, Georgia Department of Public Health officials signaled a step forward with the announcement of the following significant updates to the state’s registry process.

Extended card validity for those on the registry from two years to five years, online payment and new mail delivery options to reduce historically long card processing times are among the changes. 

The cost to renew registration also increased to $30 for five years.

"It’s been very rewarding to see, being from Georgia," said Hill. "The issue has been it’s taken about a month, historically, for people to get their card."

Yolanda Bennett, who suffers from a number of medical conditions, is one of those people. She’s been on the registry since 2019.

"This was for a renewal…it was a month and a half before I got it," she recalled.

Bennett told FOX 5 there are still issues in the system that need to be addressed with solutions like same-day availability for low THC oil cards. 

"I think right now they need to listen to the patients, speed up the process and make it more accessible," she added. 

Both she and Hill say they’re also hopeful for the day state lawmakers approve expanded patient access to other forms of THC, like the flower itself and vapes. 

FOX 5 reached out to GDPH officials and received the following response:

"Low THC Oil cards can take up to 10 business days from the time payment is processed. In most cases, it's more like five business days.

"Physicians have to enter a patient's information into our system, then DPH must verify that information. 

"If there is a delay, it is usually an issue with incomplete information being submitted by the physician, or we are unable to verify information with a patient and attempts to contact them have been unsuccessful, and/or the patient has not uploaded their driver's license.

"At this time, same-day pickup is not feasible."

The Source

  • FOX 5 Atlanta original report.