How do I get a Georgia medical cannabis card?

Six steps: confirm Georgia residency, establish a bona fide doctor-patient relationship with a Georgia-licensed MD or DO who submits you to the DPH registry, sign a notarized waiver, pay $30 plus a $3.75 service fee, wait roughly 10 business days, and pick up the plastic card in person at one of 19 county DPH offices. The card is valid 5 years.

How much does the Georgia medical card cost?

The Department of Public Health charges $30 plus a $3.75 service fee, for a total state cost of $33.75. The card is valid for 5 years, the longest in the U.S. Physician evaluation fees are separate.

How many people have Georgia medical cards?

Approximately 34,500 registered patients as of 2025, about 0.3 percent of Georgia's population, the lowest medical-cannabis patient density in the country among states with operational programs.

What conditions qualify in Georgia?

Seventeen conditions under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191: cancer, ALS, seizure disorders, MS, Crohn's, mitochondrial disease, Parkinson's, sickle cell, Tourette syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, epidermolysis bullosa, Alzheimer's, AIDS, peripheral neuropathy, hospice enrollment, intractable pain, and PTSD. Several still carry a "severe or end-stage" qualifier.

Does Georgia accept out-of-state medical cards?

Only for a narrow 30-day grace period during new Georgia residency. There is no general visitor reciprocity. Out-of-state cards do not authorize purchase from Georgia producers or pharmacy partners.

What is the 5 percent THC cap?

O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191 caps allowed product at no more than 5 percent THC by weight and at least as much CBD as THC. Product forms are limited to oils, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals, and transdermal patches. SB 220 (2026), if signed, would remove the cap and authorize vaporization for patients 21+.

Georgia Medical Cannabis Card — Patient Hub & Overview

Legal Disclaimer: This information reflects Georgia cannabis law as of June 2026 and is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Laws and regulations change — always verify current rules with the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission or a qualified attorney. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

Medical Disclaimer: This information is educational only and does not constitute medical advice. Cannabis affects everyone differently. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using cannabis, especially if you take other medications.

~34,500

Patients (~0.3%)

$30

State Fee

Qualifying Conditions

THC Cap

Program Overview

Georgia’s medical-cannabis program began with the Haleigh’s Hope Act (HB 1, 2015) — the first medical-cannabis statute in the Bible Belt, named for 4-year-old Haleigh Cox — and was finally given an in-state production framework by Georgia’s Hope Act (HB 324, 2019). First legal sale happened April 28, 2023, eight years and 12 days after HB 1. The program is administered by the Department of Public Health (DPH) for patient registration and the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC) for production and dispensing.

The program is the most restrictive in any state that is currently dispensing product: a 5% THC cap (the lowest in the U.S.), no smokable flower, no vape cartridges, no conventional edibles, and product limited to oils, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals, and transdermal patches. About 34,500 patients are registered (~0.3% of Georgia’s population, the lowest patient-density rate in the country).

Georgia is also the first U.S. state to authorize independent-pharmacy dispensing of medical cannabis (rollout October 2024; ~120 pharmacies signed on; CVS and Walgreens declined; DEA warning letters Nov 2024). See pharmacy dispensing.

The Georgia Department of Public Health administers the Low THC Oil Patient Registry under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191. The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission regulates production and dispensing.
Georgia DPH Low THC Oil Patient Registry

The Four Topics, Four Dedicated Pages

The medical-card section is split into four pages so you can go straight to what you need:

Qualifying Conditions

All 17 conditions Georgia recognizes under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191 — from cancer, ALS, MS, and Parkinson’s to Crohn’s, autism, intractable pain, and PTSD. The “severe or end-stage” qualifier and pending SB 220 (2026) expansion.

See the conditions list

How to Apply

The 6-step DPH process: GA ID, bona fide relationship with a GA-licensed MD/DO, notarized waiver, $33.75 in fees, ~10 business days, and in-person pickup at a county DPH office. Includes HowTo schema for AI/voice answers.

Walk through the application

Cost & Renewal

$30 + $3.75 service fee. 5-year card (longest in U.S.). Why there is no recreational tax to compare. Where the real cost lives: product pricing under Georgia’s tightly capped market.

See the cost breakdown

Reciprocity for Out-of-State Patients

Georgia has a 30-day grace period for new residents but no general reciprocity. Visiting patients cannot buy from Georgia producers or pharmacy partners. Cross-border options (FL, EBCI/NC) and what reciprocity does not cover.

See visitor rules

Pending Expansion: SB 220 (2026)

Sen. Matt Brass and Rep. Mark Newton MD’s Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act awaits Gov. Kemp’s signature decision (~May 12, 2026). If signed it would replace “low THC oil” with “medical cannabis,” remove the 5% THC cap, authorize vaporization for patients 21+, and expand the qualifying-conditions list (lupus, severe arthritis, severe insomnia added; “severe or end-stage” qualifier removed for cancer, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s, sickle cell, Alzheimer’s, peripheral neuropathy). See the SB 220 watch page.

Program Scale

Metric	Value (May 2026)
Active Low-THC Oil patient cards	~34,500 registered (per Botanical Sciences CEO Gary Long, March 2026 testimony; ~33,700 + 2,300 caregivers in late 2025 GMCC reporting)
Adoption rate (% of state pop., ~11.3M)	~0.3% — lowest of any U.S. medical-cannabis program
Active dispensaries	~18 + ~120 partner pharmacies
In-state production licenses	2 Class 1 + 4 Class 2 (cap fully issued)
Patient registry fee	$30 + $3.75 secure-payment service fee
Card validity	5 years (extended from 2 in Oct 2024)
Possession limit	20 fluid ounces of low-THC oil
THC potency cap	5% by weight (CBD ≥ THC); SB 220 (2026) would remove if signed
First in-state legal sale	April 28, 2023 — 8 years 12 days after Haleigh’s Hope was signed
Most-cited qualifying conditions	Intractable pain + PTSD (75%+ combined)
Top participating physicians	~700 statewide

Sources: Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC); Department of Public Health Low-THC Oil Registry; Botanical Sciences industry testimony; AJC reporting.

Historical Context

Georgia’s program is the product of a decade-long compromise between conservative legislators, law-enforcement opposition, social-conservative caucuses, and a small coalition of parents (Janea Cox, Suzeanna Brill) who pressed for legal access for their seriously ill children. The full story is told in:

Haleigh’s Hope Act (HB 1, 2015) — the foundational statute
Georgia’s Hope Act (HB 324, 2019) — the 9-year wait, GMCC, license litigation
Practitioner certification — the bona fide doctor-patient relationship rule
Pharmacy dispensing — first-in-the-nation rollout

Contact DPH

Phone: (404) 463-1240
Email: LowTHCOil@dph.ga.gov
Registry page: dph.georgia.gov/low-thc-oil-patient-registry
GMCC website: gmcc.georgia.gov