Georgia
Medical since 2015
Last verified: March 2026 · editorial-team
Possession Limit
N/A
Flower (adult use)
Concentrates
N/A
Per transaction
Home Grow
Not permitted
Personal cultivation
Delivery
Not allowed
Licensed delivery
License Types
manufacturing
Low-THC oil production license — Georgia permits only two Class 1 (large-scale) and four Class 2 (smaller-scale) production licenses statewide. Licensees can grow cannabis and extract low-THC oil (max 5% THC) for registered patients. No standalone cultivation or retail licenses exist outside this structure.
Est. Fees
$50,000 application (Class 1) / $25,000 (Class 2) + $100,000 annual (Class 1) / $50,000 (Class 2)
Processing Time
12+ months (licenses have been issued but product availability was delayed until 2023)
retail
Dispensing is handled through licensed pharmacies and approved dispensing locations — not standalone dispensaries. Georgia's program channels distribution through existing pharmacy infrastructure.
Est. Fees
Pharmacy licensing costs apply — no separate cannabis dispensary license
Processing Time
Varies — depends on pharmacy licensing
Tax Structure
Excise Rate
No cannabis-specific excise tax
Sales Tax
Applied
Effective Total
Standard state + local sales tax (4% state + 3–4% local = 7–8%)
Georgia's low-THC oil program has no cannabis-specific tax. Products are subject to standard Georgia sales tax (4% state rate plus local option taxes of 3–4%). The program is so small that cannabis-specific taxation hasn't been a legislative priority.
Regulatory Body
Key Statutes
HB 1 — Haleigh's Hope Act
O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-18Signed 2015. Named for Haleigh Cox, a young girl with seizures. Originally allowed possession of low-THC oil (under 5% THC) for eight qualifying conditions but provided no legal way to obtain it in-state. Patients had to travel to legal states — creating a paradoxical situation where possession was legal but procurement wasn't.
HB 324 — Georgia's Hope Act
O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-20Signed 2019. Finally created the in-state production and dispensing framework. Established the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, authorized Class 1 and Class 2 production licenses, and allowed distribution through licensed pharmacies. First products didn't reach patients until 2023.
For Operators
Georgia's program barely qualifies as 'medical'
Georgia allows only low-THC oil — capped at 5% THC. No flower, no edibles, no concentrates, no vapes. Six production licenses for the entire state of 10.7 million people. The program launched in 2015 but patients couldn't actually buy anything in Georgia until 2023, eight years later. By any national standard, this is one of the most restrictive cannabis programs operating.
Almost no entry points
The six production licenses have been issued. No additional licenses are currently available. Dispensing happens through approved pharmacies, not standalone dispensaries. For operators looking at Georgia, the path is either acquiring one of the existing licensees or waiting for legislative expansion — which has stalled repeatedly in the state legislature.
Legislative outlook
Full medical and recreational legalization bills have been introduced but none have gained meaningful traction. Georgia's political landscape is shifting — it's now a swing state — but the legislature remains cautious on cannabis. Any expansion will likely be incremental: broadening qualifying conditions, increasing THC limits, or adding product forms before full legalization is on the table.
For Consumers
Low-THC oil only — and only with a card
Georgia does not have recreational cannabis. The only legal option is low-THC oil (max 5% THC) for registered patients with a qualifying condition. To get a card, you need a diagnosis from a physician for one of the approved conditions: seizure disorders, cancer, Crohn's, MS, mitochondrial disease, Parkinson's, sickle cell disease, or ALS, among others.
Where to buy
Products are sold through licensed pharmacies and approved dispensing locations — not the dispensary experience you'd find in a legal state. Product selection is extremely limited. Most patients report that the program doesn't meet their needs, and many still travel to neighboring states with more developed programs.
Possession rules
Registered patients can possess up to 20 fluid ounces of low-THC oil. Any cannabis product over 5% THC is illegal. Possession of marijuana flower in any amount is a criminal offense — under 1 ounce is a misdemeanor (up to 12 months jail), over 1 ounce is a felony (1–10 years). Georgia has some of the harshest penalties in the Southeast for non-medical cannabis.
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