Why is Medical Cannabis Available at Pharmacies in Georgia?

On October 2, 2023, the Georgia Board of Pharmacy began to accept applications from pharmacies that would provide medical cannabis from Botanical Sciences. One of the two licensed production companies medical cannabis providers in Georgia, Botanical Sciences, will partner with approved pharmacy locations, providing quality products for patients.

Georgia will become the first state in the nation to offer medical cannabis prescription pick-up locations at pharmacies. This helps address problems patients will have accessing low-THC medical marijuana products in rural locations across the state. The Georgia medical cannabis commission acknowledges pharmacies as an effective solution for patients.

“We’re going to have patients that need this health care in some remote parts of Georgia that probably would never have a dispensary near them,” said Jonathan Marquess, the Vice President for the Georgia Pharmacy Association. (1) “But they do have a caring professional, a knowledgeable, professional pharmacist, in their communities who can talk to them.”

When Will Patients Be Able to Pick Up Medical Cannabis at Pharmacies?

Marijuana products at independent pharmacies will still take some time before the services will be available. The Georgia Board of Pharmacy began to accept applications from business owners during the first week of October 2023.

At the time of writing, there were over 120 pharmacies that had submitted applications to become medical cannabis retail locations for patients. There are over 400 pharmacy locations across the state of Georgia that could potentially be approved to provide cannabis medication from Botanical Sciences.

Medicinal cannabis products may be available for registered medical marijuana patients in Georgia as early as November 2023. This will allow qualified patients in Georgia access to low-THC oil with a maximum potency of 5% THC.

How Do You Find a Local Pharmacy That Provides the Service?

National pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens will not be providing medical cannabis pick-up services for patients. Since 2019, however, Walgreens has sold a variety of cannabidiol (CBD) products at their retail locations.

Marijuana products at independent pharmacies will still take some time before the services will be available. The Georgia Board of Pharmacy began to accept applications from business owners during the first week of October 2023. It will take some time to review applications before the board grants approval.

A list of participating pharmacy locations will be available on the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission website. Botanical Sciences also provides information for patients regarding available pharmacy pick-up locations.

How Many Patients Have a Georgia Medical Card?

Recently, the Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission corrected the number of patients certified to use medical cannabis in the state. Health officials had previously stated that Georgia had 50,000 patients registered in the medical marijuana program.

However, in September 2023, that number was corrected to 14,000 patients, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Patients will have access to dispensary products provided by Trulieve and Botanical Sciences.

Ready to get your Georgia medical marijuana card? Schedule an appointment with DocMJ. We provide telehealth appointments for qualified patients and guidance to help you apply for your Georgia medical card.

 

 

Sources:

[1] AP News. Georgia will be first state with medical marijuana in Pharmacies https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-georgia-independent-pharmacies-02e8b4cc85f54274fbf08a48268c9869 (accessed Oct 16, 2023).