Georgia proposes medical cannabis home delivery amid registry surge

Georgia's medical cannabis patient registry has increased by more than 22% in just over a month, rising from 36,595 patients in late June to 44,854 as of early August. This surge follows a significant overhaul of state access laws that took effect in July, which expanded qualifying conditions to include lupus and irritable bowel syndrome and removed requirements that conditions like cancer be “severe or end stage.”

In response to changing regulations, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission has proposed new rules to allow the home delivery of medical cannabis via the United States Postal Service or private carriers. Under the proposal, shipments would be restricted to the address listed on a registered patient’s medical cannabis card. The commission is also exploring a pathway for deliveries to long-term care and healthcare facilities to reduce security risks such as theft or diversion associated with staff transporting products.

The rapid increase in enrollment has caused processing delays at the Georgia Department of Public Health, with application wait times extending from approximately one week to as long as four weeks.