Georgia Medical Marijuana Patients Frustrated with Delayed Access to THC Cards
Patients in Georgia who rely on medical marijuana to manage their pain are growing increasingly frustrated with the state’s slow processing of THC cards, which are necessary to legally obtain the medication. The Georgia Medical Marijuana Law was passed in 2015, and while the state has made progress in creating a patient database, many patients are still waiting for their cards, leaving them in pain and discomfort.
Judson Hill, a medical marijuana dispensary owner in Smyrna, has firsthand experience with the delays. He became a patient himself after being involved in a serious car accident and credits medical marijuana with helping him manage his pain. Hill believes that the delays could be easily solved if the Department of Public Health and the Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission had access to the same database.
Yolanda Bennett, a patient who recently received her THC card, shared her own experience with the process. She said it took over a month and a half to receive her card after missing a phone call from the Department of Public Health and being unable to get in touch with them again. Bennett is not alone in her frustration, as many patients are waiting for their cards, with some even having to travel long distances to reach the nearest Department of Health office.
A spokesperson for the Department of Public Health attributes the delays to issues with the application process, stating that the normal processing time is 10 days. However, patients are calling for a more efficient and streamlined process, citing examples of other states like Washington D.C. and Louisiana where patients can receive their cards instantly.
