The low-THC cannabis program in Georgia is hoping to speed up its current cannabis stall by handing over authority to a new department.
The State of Georgia has been notoriously tight on cannabis, struggling to pass its limited medical marijuana program and failing for nearly a decade to enact the program’s infrastructure.
With lawsuits filed against Georgia’s cannabis commission and still no low-THC oil on business shelves, the State has miraculously failed to install its alternative cannabis program.
Now, in Dahlonega, a hemp farmer is seeing pushback from local lawmakers who have apparent grievances with the farmer’s choice of businesses signage, in what appears to be another example of officials persecuting legal cannabis in the Peach State.
Hemp Farmer Denied Sign Permit by City Officials
Dahlonega City Officials Shut Down Sign Proposal from Farmer
Georgia hasn’t been friendly to cannabis lately, and currently marijuana and hemp businesses are seeing some roadblocks from local officials.
Henry Ostaszewski operates a 10-acre hemp farm named Blue 42 Organics, which is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.
Farming hemp plants to extract and process their CBD, Ostaszewksi planned on opening the farm’s new retail store in Dahlonega, Georgia soon, though city officials have effectively pushed this to fall at the earliest.
Ostaszewski submitted his proposal for a sign permit to install in the new location and quickly received approval.
Shortly thereafter, his approval was apparently reversed, and he received a letter explaining that his permit approval was a mistake and that his sign would not receive a permit due to its language and imagery.
“Cannabis & Coffee” – Prohibited Advertising in Georgia?
The sign that Ostaszewski wants to install is a simple and elegant sign that displays the words “Blue 42 Market”, “Cannabis & Coffee USA”, and “Wonder Begins Here” along with a gold cannabis flower or bud (not leaf).
After its approval and quick reversal, Ostaszewski contacted an attorney and is looking to file an appeal, stating that he wants to advertise exactly what it is that they are selling.
The image itself is not a graphic representation of a cannabis flower, it’s an artistic rendering.
The word “cannabis” is likely the problem for officials who aren’t entertaining more pressing matters.
The irony is that hemp is cannabis and cannabis is hemp, and there’s nothing illicit, illegal, or indecent about Ostaszewski’s sign, it’s quite pleasant to look at.
The move from officials is a knee-jerk reaction from an antiquated viewpoint that represents how most of Georgia’s legislative cabinet feels, which is considerably backwards from how voters feel.
Georgia Reinforces Stance Against Cannabis
Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Program Needs a Complete Overhaul to Work
After nearly a decade of legislators nitpicking over how the compromise CBD bill can be offered to chronic and terminally ill patients, there’s still no product or company making products.
There are no shelves to put the products on and no stores to put the shelves in.
That’s largely at the feet of legislators who have failed to incorporate a fair and balanced program from the start, and the colossal failures in between have only been a predictable outcome for the State’s awkward proposal for 4.7% more THC.
Unfortunately, patients are the ones being left out in the rain, and relocation is likely the best option for terminally ill patients who need to get their medicine right now.
Georgia’s expediting its review of the cannabis commission’s licensing process, which will help speed things up in the short term, though, the long-term outlook demands a restructure of the entire program.
Georgia to Speed Up Lawsuits, Program Still on Hold for Foreseeable Future
The best-case scenario for Georgia’s medical marijuana program is a complete overhaul and a fresh start.
The limited program struggles to even meet the basic definition of medical marijuana by traditional standards, and it’s clear by now that Georgia’s unique approach wasn’t the right idea.
Regardless of the capacity of Georgia’s medical marijuana program, legislators are dedicating some attention to getting the lawsuits out of the way.
With expediting the lawsuits in mind, Georgia is looking to get on the other side of the legal battle and get its CBD products with 5% THC in production mode, though the lengthy process for companies to get local construction permits and install cultivation facilities will take its own time.
For now, Georgia’s program is hanging back and waiting for better days and provided the lawsuits can get swept into the past, there’s hope for the program.
Once cultivators install their facilities, locations will become available for patients to purchase low-THC cannabis products, though you’ll need to apply for Georgia’s low-THC registry first. We suspect that’s probably somewhere between 6 months and 1 year, though only legislators will be able to get the program out of the dark ages and get the low-THC oil into the hands of patients.
Get Your Georgia Marijuana Card
Georgia’s medical marijuana program allows chronic and terminally ill patients to register for a low-THC cannabis certification and use cannabis products with less than 5% THC. The program is currently on hold, and once the program comes online, we’ll begin processing applications.
You can pre-register for your appointment today by reserving your spot online!
We will be processing medical marijuana certifications as soon as the system is live for Georgia patients.
Reserve your appointment today and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Feel free to give us a call at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia
Comments