Georgia 20 Fluid Ounce Possession Limit

Last verified: May 2026

The 20 Fluid Ounce Cap

O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191 sets the patient possession limit: up to 20 fluid ounces of low-THC oil per registered patient. Caregiver possession counts against the patient limit (i.e., if a patient holds 15 fl oz at home and a caregiver holds 6 fl oz separately, the combined possession exceeds the cap).

20 fluid ounces is approximately 591 milliliters. At the 5% THC cap, that volume contains a maximum of ~28,000–30,000 mg of THC by weight (depending on oil density). The volume cap therefore effectively translates to a substantial milligram-of-THC supply for most patient use cases.

Why "Fluid Ounces" Rather Than Mass or THC?

The 2015 Haleigh’s Hope Act used fluid ounces because the original product authorized was oil — a liquid form. Subsequent product-form expansions (SB 195 of 2021) added tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals, and patches; the 20-fl-oz volume cap remained, applied to total oil-equivalent volume across all forms.

The volume-based limit has structural drawbacks for patients using non-oil forms:

• A capsule patient might hold 20 capsules at 25 mg each = 500 mg THC in pill form, plus a small amount of oil; the volume calculation is awkward.
• A topical patient holds creams whose oil content varies; the 20-fl-oz cap may not bind in practice.
• A patch patient holds adhesive patches whose oil content is small; the cap is not the limiting factor.

SB 220 (2026) addresses this by replacing the volume cap with a milligram-of-THC ceiling that is product-form-neutral.

Caregiver Aggregation

A patient may designate up to two caregivers. The 20-fl-oz possession ceiling is a collective limit across the patient and all designated caregivers; combined possession across these registered persons cannot exceed 20 fluid ounces.

The Practical Implications

• Most patients hold a multi-month supply. A typical chronic-pain patient using ~20 mg/day in 5% oil consumes ~0.4 ml/day, or ~12 ml/month, or ~146 ml/year — less than 5 fl oz annually. The 20 fl oz cap is therefore typically several years’ worth of supply for moderate users.
• High-dose patients (e.g., pediatric epilepsy patients on Epidiolex-equivalent CBD-heavy regimens, or end-stage cancer patients) consume volume more rapidly and may approach the cap.
• Bulk purchasing is common — patients buy in larger quantities to minimize the number of pharmacy or dispensary visits required, particularly for rural patients far from a participating pharmacy.

Out-of-State Reciprocity (30 Days Only)

Georgia honors out-of-state medical-cannabis cards only for the first 30 days of Georgia residency. A new Georgia resident with a Florida or Maryland medical card can possess up to 20 fluid ounces of qualifying low-THC oil for 30 days from establishing Georgia residency; after that, the resident must obtain a Georgia DPH Low-THC Oil Patient Registry card.

Visiting tourists from other state programs are not covered by this 30-day window. A Florida cardholder visiting Atlanta does not have legal possession status under Georgia law — even with a valid Florida card, the visitor is subject to state possession penalties on any cannabis brought into Georgia.

The Federal Schedule I Layer

Bringing low-THC oil into Georgia from another state is a federal felony under 21 U.S.C. § 841 regardless of the source state’s legal status. Georgia State Patrol HEAT units and federal interdiction units operating on I-75, I-85, I-95, and I-20 routinely intercept cross-border drivers carrying cannabis products. See cross-border page.

SB 220 (2026) Possession Ceiling

If signed, SB 220 would replace the 20-fl-oz volume cap with:

• 12,000 mg total THC at any one time.
• 1,200 mg per individual product package.

12,000 mg total THC = ~600 servings at 20 mg each = ~20 months of moderate-dose chronic-pain treatment. The milligram ceiling is structurally tighter than the current 20-fl-oz volume cap (which can accommodate up to ~30,000 mg at the 5% THC ceiling), but is product-form-neutral and transparent to patients in commonly understood units.