The Georgia Board of Pharmacy is currently reviewing a series of proposals that could potentially enable the sale of medical cannabis products at independent pharmacies across the state. If implemented, this move would exclude major pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens from participating in the medical cannabis market. The products, however, would be sourced exclusively from Georgia’s two licensed producers, Botanical Sciences and Trulieve.
Presently, the approximately 27,000 patients registered on Georgia’s low-THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) registry can only legally access medical cannabis at Trulieve dispensaries located in Marietta and Macon. Trulieve holds additional licenses to establish dispensaries in Newnan and Pooler, while Botanical Sciences is authorized to open locations in Marietta and Pooler. These anticipated four new dispensaries are expected to commence operations this summer.
As per the current legislation, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission has the authority to issue licenses for up to 12 dispensaries throughout the state of Georgia.
During the May meeting of the state Medical Cannabis Commission, Cecil Cordle, a member of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy, addressed the gathering. Cordle expressed his belief that a significant number of entities would be interested in providing medical cannabis products; however, he did not provide a specific quantity, stating, “I don’t have a quantitative number to tell you whether that’s 10 or 150.”
Cordle further emphasized that while there might be certain regions within Georgia where establishing a dispensary would be unfeasible, independent pharmacies could potentially fill the gap by offering medical cannabis products.
The Board of Pharmacy is scheduled to review and deliberate on these proposals during their upcoming meeting on June 14. The outcome of their considerations will have a significant impact on the accessibility and availability of medical cannabis for patients throughout the state.
