GeorgiaGeorgia Medical Cannabis Law, Explained
Georgia's medical cannabis law lets registered patients buy oils, tinctures, capsules, lotions, transdermal patches, ingestibles, and vape products (including flower for vaporization) up to a cumulative 12,000 mg of THC. No one 21 or younger may vape, and public use is banned. The July 1, 2026 law retired the "Low THC Oil" name and its 5% cap; smoking remains illegal.
What counts as medical cannabis in Georgia now?
Until mid-2026, Georgia's program revolved around "low THC oil": oil capped at 5% THC, possessed in quantities up to 20 fluid ounces. The Putting Georgia's Patients First Act rebuilt that framework on July 1, 2026. The legal category is now medical cannabis, measured not by volume or percentage but by a cumulative 12,000 mg total-THC possession limit, with each package capped at 1,200 mg of THC and carried in the manufacturer's labeled pharmaceutical container. Vaporization became legal for patients 22 and older, and the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission confirms that vape products include medical cannabis flower made for vaporization. The same law made it illegal for anyone to use medical cannabis in any manner in a public place, and it gives DPH until January 1, 2027 to adopt rules carrying out these use limits. What stays illegal: smoking or combusting cannabis, growing your own, and cannabis-infused foods like candies and cookies. If you knew the old rules, here's the side-by-side:
| Rule | Before SB 220 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Low THC Oil Registry | Medical Cannabis Patient Registry |
| Possession standard | 20 fl oz of oil, 5% THC cap | 12,000 mg total THC |
| Product forms | Oil, tincture, transdermal patch, lotion, capsule | Adds ingestibles and vaporizer products |
| Flower | Not sold | Sold for vaporization only |
| Vaporization | Banned (any vapor device) | Legal at 22 and older, never in public |
| Out-of-state cards | Possession recognized under 45 days | Still under 45 days, possession only; the card must be issued to you |
| Smoking | Illegal | Still illegal |
Where can you buy medical cannabis in Georgia?
Two licensed channels exist, and both sell only to patients and caregivers with an active Georgia registry card: dispensaries licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, and independent pharmacies licensed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. The Commission keeps the official list of licensed dispensaries, and every Commission-regulated product must pass safety testing before sale and show its production facility's name, license number, and lab-testing information on the package or label. Visiting from another state? A home-state card may cover possession for under 45 days, but it won't let you buy here. Our reciprocity guide explains why. Getting the Georgia card starts with the six-step process and the $74.99 evaluation.
Georgia medical cannabis questions
What products can I buy with a Georgia card?
Oils, tinctures, transdermal patches, lotions, capsules, ingestibles, and vaporizer products (including medical cannabis flower for vaporization), all made by Commission-licensed producers. Each package is capped at 1,200 mg of THC. Cannabis-infused candies and cookies are prohibited, and so is smoking.
How much THC can I legally possess?
Products containing a combined total of up to 12,000 milligrams of THC, each in the manufacturer's labeled pharmaceutical container, for registered patients and caregivers under O.C.G.A. 16-12-191. Keep your Medical Cannabis card with the product, because the card is what makes possession lawful.
Can you buy cannabis flower in Georgia?
Yes, since July 1, 2026, but only flower made for vaporization, sold to registered patients at licensed dispensaries and pharmacies. No one 21 or younger may vape it, and smoking flower, or any cannabis, remains illegal in Georgia.
Can I smoke or vape with a Georgia card?
Smoking or combusting cannabis remains illegal for everyone. Vaporization is permitted under the 2026 law for patients 22 and older, but not for anyone 21 or younger, and no one may use medical cannabis in any form, vaped or otherwise, in a public place.
Did federal rescheduling make marijuana legal in Georgia?
No. Federal rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis to Schedule III took effect April 22, 2026, but it legalized nothing in Georgia: you still need an active Medical Cannabis card to buy, and possessing marijuana without one remains illegal under state and federal law.
Who sells medical cannabis in Georgia?
Two kinds of licensed sellers: dispensaries licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission and independent pharmacies licensed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. Both sell only to patients and caregivers with an active Georgia registry card.
What's the difference between medical cannabis and medical marijuana in Georgia?
Mostly the legal label. The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission says Georgia is not a medical marijuana state in legal terms: growing, possessing, and smoking marijuana remain crimes, and only registered patients may buy regulated medical cannabis products. In everyday searches, a Georgia medical marijuana card means the same DPH Medical Cannabis card.
Can a Georgia employer fire you for using medical cannabis?
Nothing in Georgia's medical cannabis law stops it. O.C.G.A. 16-12-191 says the law doesn't require employers to permit or accommodate marijuana use, and it preserves written zero-tolerance policies covering on-duty and off-duty use, including having any detectable amount in your system at work.
Legal medical cannabis starts with the card
Get evaluated by a Georgia-licensed physician by phone or video. It's $74.99 with code 75off, refunded in full if you're not approved.
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