Final four firms cleared to produce medical pot
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After months of delays due to court battles, the Georgia panel overseeing medical marijuana unanimously voted on Wednesday to grant the state’s final four production licenses. The licenses were awarded to Fine Fettle, TheraTrue Georgia, Natures Georgia, and Treevana Remedy, each permitted to operate greenhouses with 50,000 square feet of growing space.
This decision by the panel, which had been on hold since July 2021 amidst legal challenges and protests from unsuccessful businesses, expands access for registered patients and increases the number of state medical marijuana companies to six, with each being allowed to operate five dispensaries. Nine dispensaries have opened across the state this year.
The protesting businesses had claimed the state’s selection process was secretive and unfair. Despite recent court rulings against the losing bidders, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission proceeded with licensing on a provisional basis while other lawsuits are still pending. The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed lower court decisions that dismissed the companies’ lawsuits.
Commission Chairman Sid Johnson acknowledged the challenges of implementing a new industry but emphasized the positive impact on the quality of life for thousands of patients in Georgia. However, an attorney for one of the protesting companies, Symphony Medical, argued that the commission should have waited until legal disputes were fully resolved, as lower court cases are still pending. Kristen Goodman, representing Symphony Medical, also expressed her frustration, stating, “This is one more example of how this commission has acted completely outside and above the law. I’ve never been so incensed about the operation of government.”
Currently operating in Georgia are two licensed companies, Trulieve and Botanical Sciences, cultivating medical marijuana on 100,000 square feet of indoor growing space. Fine Fettle, having built a production facility in Macon, plans to start growing as soon as possible, with the first harvest expected in March. Fine Fettle Georgia CEO Jeremy Fort emphasized their commitment to serving the needs of patients in the state.
Medical marijuana in the form of low THC cannabis oil is available to Georgians with approval from a physician for severe illnesses such as seizures, terminal cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The low THC oil must have no more than 5% THC, the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects. As of September, approximately 14,000 active patients and caregivers were registered with the state, a number expected to grow with increased availability of cannabis oil.