HB227: HB227 Putting Georgia's Patients First Act; enact

Georgia currently regulates a cannabis derivative called 'low THC oil' under several different chapters of state law, including criminal statutes, the Department of Public Health's patient registry, and the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission's licensing rules. This bill, called the 'Putting Georgia's Patients First Act,' replaces the term 'low THC oil' with 'medical cannabis' in dozens of Code sections across Titles 2, 16, and 31, and in the tort law governing healthcare provider liability. Beyond the renaming, the bill rewrites the criminal penalty structure for unlawful possession, sale, and trafficking of medical cannabis, updates exemptions for university research programs and licensed businesses, and excludes lawfully possessed medical cannabis from Georgia's Controlled Substances Act. It also directs the Commission to conduct public awareness campaigns about the medical cannabis program, sets rules for how licensees may share product information with doctors and patients, and adds lupus to the list of medical conditions eligible for a medical cannabis registration card under O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-18.

• Replaces 'low THC oil' with 'medical cannabis' in dozens of Code sections across Titles 2, 16, and 31, and in the tort statute on healthcare provider liability (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29.6).
• Rewrites the criminal penalties in O.C.G.A. § 16-12-191 for possessing, selling, or trafficking medical cannabis without proper registration, keeping tiered fines and prison terms based on quantity.
• Excludes lawfully possessed and controlled medical cannabis from the definition of 'marijuana' under Georgia's Controlled Substances Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 16-13-21 and 16-13-25).
• Adds a new duty for the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to run public awareness and outreach campaigns about the medical cannabis program for patients, law enforcement, and healthcare providers.
• Sets rules limiting how licensees can share product information with physicians, patients, and caregivers, banning misleading claims or marketing aimed at children.
• Adds lupus to the list of qualifying conditions for a medical cannabis registration card under the Department of Public Health's patient registry (O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-18).

Registered medical cannabis patients and their caregivers, physicians who certify patients, licensed producers and dispensers, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, the Department of Public Health, law enforcement agencies, and university researchers involved in cannabis clinical trials.

Patients and businesses currently dealing with 'low THC oil' rules would see the same substance referred to and regulated as 'medical cannabis,' with updated criminal exemptions and clearer rules on what licensees can tell patients and doctors. Georgians with lupus would newly qualify for a registration card.

• Section 1-1 gives the Act its short title, the 'Putting Georgia's Patients First Act.'
• Part II (Sections 2-1 through 2-4) replaces 'low THC oil' with 'medical cannabis' throughout Titles 2, 16, and 31 and in the tort liability statute.
• Section 3-1 rewrites Article 8 of Chapter 12, Title 16, updating definitions and setting tiered criminal penalties: misdemeanor for small unauthorized amounts, felony imprisonment of 1 to 10 years and up to $50,000 fine for larger amounts, and trafficking penalties up to 20 years and $1 million for the largest quantities.
• Section 3-3 adds a duty for the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to conduct public education and outreach about the medical cannabis program.
• Section 3-4 rewrites rules on where licensees can operate near schools and churches and how they may share product information with physicians and patients without misleading or child-targeted marketing.
• Section 3-5 and 3-6 exclude lawfully possessed medical cannabis and products from the legal definitions of 'marijuana' and Schedule I substances in the Controlled Substances Act.
• Section 3-7 adds lupus as a new qualifying condition for a medical cannabis registration card under O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-18.
• Section 4-1 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-27House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-02-27House Third Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-20House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
5. 2025-02-06House Second Readers (House)
6. 2025-02-05House First Readers (House)
7. 2025-02-04House Hopper (House)

• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)Primary sponsor
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 27, 2025

   164 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 13 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #111

• medical cannabis
• low THC oil
• cannabis regulation
• patient registry
• drug penalties