“Through GMCS, I help patients and caregivers understand Georgia's medical cannabis program, evaluate information more critically, communicate with healthcare providers, and participate in the legislative process.”
Angela S. Weston, MS, MBA, MCST, is a medical cannabis patient, educator, and co-founder, Board Chair, and Director of Education of the Georgia Medical Cannabis Society. Her advocacy grew from her own healthcare experience, including years of serious health and mobility challenges during which cannabis helped her manage pain and reduce her reliance on opioids following two surgeries.
That experience shaped a broader view of patient safety. For Weston, access is not simply whether cannabis is legal or available. Patients also need accurate information, safe products, appropriate methods of administration, knowledgeable healthcare professionals, affordability, and a meaningful role in the policies that govern their care.
Through GMCS, Weston helps patients and caregivers understand Georgia’s medical cannabis program, evaluate information more critically, communicate with healthcare providers, and participate in the legislative process. The organization’s educational work includes GMCS TV, the GMCS Masterclass Series, Compassion in Action, Compassion in Practice, community forums, and legislative updates. These programs bring patients together with pharmacists, physicians, researchers, elected officials, and advocates to discuss therapeutic use, drug interactions, administration methods, product safety, and changing laws.
Weston strengthened her advocacy by earning a Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She uses that training to connect patient experience with evidence on cannabinoid pharmacology, delivery methods, drug interactions, clinical effects, testing, and cannabis policy.
Her policy work has included presenting patient-centered recommendations before Georgia’s House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies. GMCS raised issues including vaporization, whole plant access, provider education, affordability, reciprocity, and support for veterans, indigent patients, and underserved communities. Georgia’s 2026 Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act subsequently changed several parts of the state program, including rules governing vaporized medical cannabis. Georgia House of Representatives
Weston also helps patients become advocates themselves through the Pressure Squad and Pressure Play Workshop, where participants learn how to read legislation, communicate with elected officials, prepare testimony, and participate effectively in the policymaking process.
In 2026, Weston and fellow GMCS co-founder Yolanda Bennett were selected to present “Legalization Lessons Learned: A Georgia Case Study in Policy, Access, and Advocacy” at the National Cannabis Research Conference in conjunction with the National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium. Their presentation uses Georgia’s experience to examine the gap between legal authorization and meaningful patient access, and to share lessons with researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocates.
Weston’s work captures what the Patient Voice Award is designed to recognize: taking the realities patients encounter and carrying them into classrooms, community meetings, healthcare conversations, legislative hearings, and national research forums where those experiences can influence what happens next.
Cast your vote for Angela S. Weston, MS, MBA, MCST, for the 2026 Patient Voice Award!
Learn more about Angela S. Weston, MS, MBA, MCST:
Personal website: angelaweston.com
Georgia Medical Cannabis Society: georgiamcs.org
About GMCS: Georgia Medical Cannabis Society
National Cannabis Research Conference presentation: 2026 conference program
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