The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission held its first meeting Dec. 18 to begin exploring ways to manufacture or import medical cannabis oil for the state’s nearly 14,000 registered patients, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Patients have been allowed to possess low-THC cannabis oil (containing less than 5-percent THC) since 2015, but had no way to legally obtain the product in the state until Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law in April that called for a regulated system for the in-state production, processing and sale of the oil.
The law established the commission and tasked it with establishing regulations for the program, as well as issuing business licenses and creating a distribution network for the oil. State officials appointed members to the commission last month, including three doctors, a police chief, a health policy professor, the president of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy and a small business owner. The commission is chaired by Dr. Christopher Edwards, the principal surgeon for the Atlanta Neurological & Spine Institute.
Six companies will ultimately be licensed to cultivate medical cannabis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, and the commission will also explore ways to import cannabis oil from other states or grow it at state universities. The oil will be tested for purity and dosages will be determined, according to the news outlet.
Going forward, the commission plans to hire a director, create a website and host monthly public meetings, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
