Georgia Marijuana Business Licenses
Status: In Georgia, CBD oil derived from Hemp is legal for all individuals to possess, but low-THC oil derived from Marijuana is only legal for medically qualified individuals to possess. State licensed companies may cultivate, process, or dispense low-THC oil to patients.
| CBD Program | Medical Program | Recreational Program | Are Applications Open? |
| Legal | Legal | Not legal | Open until Dec 28, 2020 |
__________
Prepare Now
__________
Work with Us
__________
See Options
Number of Georgia Marijuana Business Licenses Licenses Available
| Dispensaries | Cultivation | Manufacturing/Processing | Transportation |
| 30 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
You can read the full text of the Georgia Marijuana Business Licenses law at:
Georgia Medical Marijuana Class 1 Producer License Guidelines
House Bill 324 outlines the commission may also issue a Class 1 Production License through an application process open to the general public. A Class 1 Production License authorizes a licensee to:
- Grow cannabis only in indoor facilities for use in producing low THC oil, limited to 100,000 square feet of cultivation space
- Manufacture low THC oil
The commission shall issue two (2) Class 1 production licenses. A Class 1 Production License requires a non-refundable application fee of $25,000, an initial license fee of $200,000 and license renewal fee of $100,000.
The commission is accepting applications for Class 1 Production Licenses until December 28, 2020 at 2:00pm EST. View application information here.
RECOMMENDED GEORGIA MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PRODUCER APPLICATION:
- Georgia Application Guide & Checklist
- Marijuana Business Plan Package
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Facility Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
Georgia Medical Marijuana Class 2 Producer License Guidelines
House Bill 324 outlines the commission may also issue a Class 2 Production License through an application process open to the general public. A Class 2 Production License authorizes a licensee to:
- Grow cannabis only in indoor facilities for use in producing low THC oil, limited to 50,000 square feet of cultivation space
- Manufacture low THC oil
The commission shall issue four (4) Class 2 production licenses. A Class 2 Production License requires a non-refundable application fee of $5,000, an initial license fee of $100,000 and license renewal fee of $50,000.
The commission is accepting applications for Class 2 Production Licenses until December 28, 2020 at 2:00pm EST. View application information here.
RECOMMENDED GEORGIA MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PRODUCER APPLICATION:
- Georgia Application Guide & Checklist
- Marijuana Business Plan Package
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Facility Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
Georgia Medical Marijuana Dispensing License Guidelines
A Dispensing License is a license to dispense low THC oil and products to registered patients.
The Georgia legislature passed a bill to allow up to 30 dispensaries in the state. If the governor signs the bill into law, each of the six licensed producers would be able to open five dispensary locations each. In other words, the dispensary licenses would go to the licensed producers and the dispensary licensing opportunity would not be open to new applicants.
RECOMMENDED GEORGIA MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA SAFE RETAIL ACCESS APPLICATION:
- Georgia Application Guide & Checklist
- Marijuana Business Plan Package
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Patient Recordkeeping Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
Georgia Limited Medical Marijuana (low-THC oil) Program Guidelines
- The person possessing the oil must be registered with the Georgia Department of Public Health and must have a registration card on their person when possessing said oil.
- If the patient is under 18 years of age then the parent or guardian must possess a card designating them as the patient’s caregiver.
- The medical marijuana oil must contain no more than 5% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and it must contain an amount of CBD (cannabidiol) that is at least equal to the amount of THC.
- The low THC oil must be in a pharmaceutical container, and the label must clearly state the percentage of THC contained therein.
- The patient may possess no more than 20 fluid ounces of low THC oil.
The History of Georgia Marijuana Business Licenses Marijuana
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed HB1, otherwise known as Haleigh’s Hope Act into law on April 16, 2015, which allows for a limited amount of medical marijuana use (low-THC cannabidiol) for qualifying patients in the state. Unfortunately, production and dispensing of the cannabidiol is currently not allowed. State Rep. Allen Peake, who is largely responsible for Haleigh’s Hope Act, introduced a bill in 2016 that would have allowed for the growing and selling of medical marijuana in the state of Georgia, however, it was unsuccessful.
In 2017, Senate Bill 16 passed into law, expanding the use cases for acceptable medical marijuana usage in Georgia. SB 16 does not address how patients should obtain medical marijuana or provide any state system to dispense it.
In January 2018, a bipartisan sponsored bill entered the State Senate: Senate Bill 614, seeking to decriminalize marijuana for medical and recreational use within state lines. The Joint Study Commission of Access to Low-THC Medical Oil (commission) held a series of public meetings during August – October 2018 in regards to improving access to cannabis oil that is currently legal for certain qualifying patients.
In December, the commission submitted its final report and recommendations for establishing a state-regulating dispensing system to improve patient access to the low THC medical cannabis oil they qualify for. Among its recommendations, the report proposes to allow 10 grow licenses, 10 manufacturing licenses and an “adequate number” of dispensing licenses.
House Bill 324 was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp on April 17, 2019 to provide patients who were already allowed to possess low THC high CBD marijuana oil a legal way to access the product. The new law will establish a state-regulated dispensing system of licensed marijuana producers.
Government officials including Gov. Brian Kemp, House Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, appointed members to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission on November 12, 2019. The formation of the commission allows for the drafting of regulations to license, establish and regulate medical cannabis businesses.
On November 25, 2020, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission began accepting applications for Class 1 and Class 2 Production Licenses. Application exhibits and links to each RFP were available on the commission’s website. Applications were accepted until December 28, 2020 at 2:00pm EST.
The Georgia legislature passed a bill to allow up to 30 dispensaries in the state. If the governor signs the bill into law, each of the six licensed producers would be able to open five dispensary locations each. In other words, the dispensary licenses would go to the licensed producers and the dispensary licensing opportunity would not be open to new applicants.
Regulating Department: Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission
Qualifying Conditions: Cancer, when such diagnosis is end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness or recalcitrant nausea and vomiting; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Seizure disorders related to diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma related head injuries; Multiple sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Crohn’s disease; Mitochondrial disease; Parkinson’s disease, when such diagnosis is sever or end stage; Sickle cell disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Tourette’s syndrome, when such syndrome is diagnosed as severe; Autism spectrum disorder, when (a) patient is 18 years of age or more, or (b) patient is less than 18 years of age and diagnosed with severe autism; Epidermolysis bullosa; Alzheimer’s disease, when such disease is severe or end stage; AIDS when such syndrome is severe or end stage; Peripheral neuropathy, when symptoms are severe or end stage; Patient is in hospice program, either as inpatient or outpatient; Intractable pain; Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma for a patient who is at least 18 years of age