The new law would allow 30 cannabis dispensaries in Georgia to distribute products containing up to 5% THC and would expand cannabis research at some universities in the state.
In our lifetimes, Millennials have seen society’s attitudes toward cannabis dramatically change. As children, we learned that “marijuana” is the “real name” of Cannabis sativa, and the teachers who told us that drugs are bad also told us that marijuana, also known as pot, is a bad drug. As teens we saw it celebrated in music and film, where it was usually called “weed” or “trees,” and the growing chorus of voices saying that THC and the plant it comes from can make your life better became too large and persistent to ignore.
Today, Georgia is not one of the states that have decriminalized cannabis completely, but even in Georgia, the time has come for a serious discussion about medical and legal issues surrounding cannabis, now called by its scientific name and spoken of with neither derision nor hazy giggles. A new law will expand the legal sale of cannabis products, but plenty of legal gray areas remain. An Atlanta cannabis crimes defense lawyer can help you if you are facing charges related to the purchase, sale, or cultivation of cannabis.
New Law Paves the Way for More Cannabis Dispensaries and the Sale of Products with Higher THC Content
Until 2021, cannabis dispensaries could only sell products containing 0.3% THC or less; with the THC content threshold so low, it effectively meant that you could buy CBD and hemp, but not weed per se. Greenish wellness products were legal, but the stuff that inspired Bob Dylan, Snoop Dogg, and Seth Rogen was not (except, of course, in Atlanta and Savannah, where possession of small amounts of cannabis has been decriminalized). Meanwhile, Georgia had begun issuing medical cannabis cards that enabled patients to buy cannabis oils containing up to 5% THC; the only problem was that dispensaries could not sell them.
The new bill creates licenses for 30 new cannabis dispensaries that can sell products with up to 5% THC. This could pave the way for a thriving cannabis industry in Georgia, as has happened in many other states with legally regulated cannabis dispensaries.
Despite the fact that cannabis oils with higher concentrations of THC will soon become available, Georgia is not turning its back on low THC cannabis. The new bill also contains a provision that will give research institutions within the University System of Georgia access to cannabis with low THC concentrations, so that researchers may study the effects of cannabis and develop new products that contain greater benefit and minimal risks.
Contact Atlanta Criminal Defense Lawyers About Marijuana Charges
The rules about what is legal and illegal regarding cannabis in Georgia are changing all the time. A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing charges for failure to comply with current policies about cannabis use and cultivation. Contact the defense lawyers at Ghanayem & Rayasam in Atlanta, Georgia today.