MEDICAL CANNABIS PATIENTS & CAREGIVERS 

 

The Georgia Department of Public Health oversees Georgia's limited cannabinoid program. Effective July 1, 2026, SB 220, the “Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act,” modernizes Georgia’s medical cannabis laws by replacing  “Low THC Oil” with “medical cannabis” across Georgia statutes. Patients and their caregivers must be registered with the program to benefit from the rights and protections granted under these statutes.

 

  • An individual licensed to practice medicine under Georgia law,
  • The principal place of practice is in Georgia, and 
  • Physicians must continue to have a doctor-patient relationship with the patient and must treat the patient for the relevant qualifying condition or hospice status.

Health Care Practitioner Registration

No required registration for physicans. 

  •  Intractable pain 
  • Any cancer except skin cancer, unless it is metastatic skin cancer 
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 
  • Seizure disorders related to epilepsy or trauma-related head injuries 
  • Multiple sclerosis 
  • Inflammatory bowel disease 
  • Mitochondrial disease 
  • Parkinson's disease 
  • Sickle cell disease 
  • Tourette's syndrome, when severe 
  • Autism spectrum disorder for patients at least 18, or severe autism for minors 
  • Epidermolysis bullosa 
  • Alzheimer's disease 
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Stage III 
  • Peripheral neuropathy, when severe or end-stage
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder from direct exposure to or witnessing trauma, for patients at least 18
  • Lupus  

Once a physician determines a patient has one or more qualifufy condition and that the patient woul dbenefit from cannabis medicines, they can fill in the patient’s information in the Georgia Registry portal.

Registration cards remain valid for five years. SB 220 states that cards remain valid so long as the patient or caregiver remains eligible based on annual certification of the continued diagnosis, but patients with incurable or irreversible conditions are not subject to annual certifications.

The renewal is completed by the physician through tPatient Registry. During the renewal process, the physician may update the patient’s information, including any caregiver information associated with the patient’s registration.

Federal Rights & Protections for Medical Professionals

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Title III section 301) which became law on December 2, 2022, and the First Amendment (established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that doctors, and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options).

DOWNLOAD MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, MEDICAL CANNABIS & THE LAW 

 

 

State-by-state compassionate use programs are not the ultimate goal for medical cannabis patients; they are a means to aid patients in finding safe cannabis products until federal laws change. Americans for Safe Access is working to create a national program that would include prescriptions, standardized products, and a pathway to insurance coverage. Learn more about ASA Campaigns.

*UPDATE: FEDERAL CANNABIS LAWS HAVE CHANGED AS OF APRIL 28, 2026: Learn more here.

More resources for medical professionals are available here.

If you appreciate ASA's work, join now to become a part of the movement & sign up to get ASA updates.

Monthly Donor Button