Georgia Medical Cannabis Practitioner Certification — MD / DO + Bona Fide Relationship

Last verified: May 2026

Who Can Certify

Under Georgia’s medical-cannabis statute (O.C.G.A. §§ 16-12-191, 16-12-231), only a Georgia-licensed Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) in good standing with the Georgia Composite Medical Board may sign a Low THC Oil Patient Certification form. Physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, chiropractors, and naturopaths cannot certify in Georgia.

The Bona-Fide Doctor-Patient Relationship Requirement

The certifying physician must have a bona-fide doctor-patient relationship with the patient. This requires:

• An in-person or telemedicine assessment consistent with Georgia Composite Medical Board telemedicine rules.
• A review of relevant medical history, including treating-provider records, prior diagnostic imaging or lab work, prior treatment history, and any specialist consultations.
• A determination that the patient has one of the 17 qualifying conditions under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191.
• A determination that low-THC oil is appropriate in the practitioner’s clinical judgment.
• The signed Low THC Oil Certification form on the DPH portal.

Statutory Immunity Under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-231

Under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-231, certifying physicians are immune from arrest, prosecution, or Georgia Composite Medical Board licensing-board discipline for the act of completing a certification. This immunity was a key statutory protection that allowed Georgia’s certifying-physician network to develop in 2015–2018 despite the federal Schedule I status of cannabis.

The immunity is for the certification act itself; physicians remain subject to the full set of professional standards governing the underlying patient relationship and clinical judgment.

The Telemedicine "Loophole" Concern

Rep. Mark Newton, MD (R-Augusta) — a physician-legislator who chaired the 2024 House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Medical Cannabis and Hemp Policies and carried SB 220 (2026) in the House — has publicly noted concerns about an out-of-state telemedicine physician who had certified roughly 4,000 Georgia patients. SB 220 would close this "loophole" by requiring certifying physicians to maintain a "principal place of practice" in Georgia.

The change would tighten the bona-fide-relationship standard but might also constrain access for rural patients who currently rely on telemedicine certification because of the absence of qualifying-condition specialists in their area.

Telemedicine Today (May 2026)

Under current Georgia Composite Medical Board telemedicine rules, MD/DO physicians may complete the Low THC Oil Certification via telemedicine consultation, provided they have established a bona-fide doctor-patient relationship that satisfies Georgia’s telemedicine requirements. Most certifications today happen via telemedicine.

Typical structure:

• 30–45 minute video visit.
• Review of patient’s uploaded medical records.
• Discussion of low-THC oil treatment plan, dosing, and contraindications.
• Signed certification delivered electronically to the patient for DPH submission.
• Typical patient cost: $200–$400.

If SB 220 is signed and the "principal place of practice" requirement takes effect, Georgia-only telemedicine networks would replace any cross-state telemedicine certifications.

What the Practitioner Cannot Do

• Cannot prescribe. Cannabis remains Schedule I federally; the Georgia framework substitutes a state-law certification for the federal-law prescription.
• Cannot dispense. Practitioners cannot sell or distribute cannabis. All product flows through the licensed Class 1 + Class 2 producers and their dispensary or pharmacy partners.
• Cannot certify outside the 17 qualifying-conditions list. Generalized anxiety, ADHD, depression alone, fibromyalgia, and many other diagnoses do not qualify under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191.
• Cannot authorize home cultivation. Home cultivation is prohibited under all circumstances under Georgia law.

Drug Interactions and Contraindications

Low-THC oil interacts with several medications and is contraindicated in some patients:

• Blood thinners (warfarin, others) — cannabinoid interaction with hepatic CYP450 enzymes can affect anticoagulation.
• Some seizure medications — cannabidiol-rich oil may interact with clobazam in particular.
• Some HIV antiretrovirals.
• History of psychosis or schizophrenia — cannabis use is contraindicated in patients with personal or first-degree-family history.
• Pregnancy and lactation — contraindicated.
• Pediatric patients — require parental consent and parental-caregiver registration.

The 700+ Participating Physicians

Per late-2025 GMCC and DPH reporting, approximately 700 Georgia-licensed physicians participate in the Low-THC Oil certification network. The network is concentrated in Atlanta metro, Macon, Augusta, Savannah, and Athens; some rural counties have no participating physician within a reasonable drive.

SB 220’s expansion (if signed) is expected to increase participation as the patient pool expands. Atlanta-area cannabis-clinic operators have indicated they expect to see substantial registry growth following SB 220’s implementation.