How To Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Georgia

However, while considering ways on how to obtain a medical marijuana card in Georgia, you need to bear in mind that Georgia is quite different from all the other states covered in this series. To begin with, Georgia is not the type of state that would commonly be referred to as the “medical marijuana” state.

While all the other states mentioned above allow patients prescribed with this drug to purchase their medical marijuana in various forms, including flowers, Georgia only permits to possess cannabis oil with low THC levels according to its Low THC Oil Registry Program. The difference is tremendous.

What is more, the identification document that is issued to those eligible to receive it under the program in question is called the Low THC Oil Registry Card (or just Low THC Oil card) issued by the Department of Public Health of Georgia. The card can actually be viewed as the prescription to marijuana used in other states for therapeutic purposes.

Let us delve into all the details!

The Georgia medical cannabis program has its roots in the passage of House Bill 1 (HB 1). It came into effect on April 16, 2015, and was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal. It was referred to as Haleigh’s Hope Act and was designed with the objective of providing relief to Haleigh Cox, a young girl with epilepsy who resides in Georgia. The purpose of this act was to protect patients or their caretakers from any legal repercussions associated with using low-THC cannabis oil for therapeutic purposes.

Subsequently, other ailments have been added to the list of qualifying conditions due to the enactment of additional laws. As of 2023, dispensaries licensed by Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC) are operational. Currently, there are 14 dispensaries in Georgia, offering products containing low-THC oils to certified cardholders.

Georgia does not allow recreational use of cannabis. Any expansion to the list of qualified conditions will only be achieved through legislative efforts and not by way of popular initiatives.

There are two state agencies responsible for regulating Georgia’s medical cannabis program:

• Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH): It regulates the Low THC Oil Registry, registers eligible patients/caregivers and validates physicians’ certifications.
• Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC): It regulates the licensing process of growers/manufacturers/dispensaries.

For card-related inquiries, contact the DPH Low THC Oil Unit:

• Email: THCRegistry@dph.ga.gov 
• Phone (lost cards): 404-679-4702, option 4
• Website: dph.georgia.gov/low-thc-oil-registry

In accordance with Georgia statutes, low-THC oil is described as the oil obtained from cannabis that has:

• Not more than 5% THC by weight
• An equal or greater concentration of CBD compared to THC
• Pharmaceutical packaging and labeling specifying the THC percentage

It is important to remember that smoking, vaping, or eating foods containing cannabis are strictly prohibited under Georgia statutes. What individuals with registration cards can use is only the oil found in dispensary forms.

There are three types of individuals who are eligible to register for a Georgia Low THC Oil Registry Card:

• Any adult (18 years or above), and a Georgia resident suffering from any of the medical conditions listed.
• The legal guardian of any adult suffering from any of the medical conditions listed
• The parent/guardian/custodian of any minor child suffering from any of the medical conditions listed.

Certification of patients for registry can be done only by a doctor licensed in the State of Georgia by the Georgia Composite Medical Board. Certification by a nurse practitioner/physician’s assistant/a doctor not licensed in Georgia is not acceptable.

As of 2025, Georgia recognizes the following conditions for the Low THC Oil Registry:

• Autism spectrum disorder (when the patient is 18 or older, or under 18 with a diagnosis of severe autism)
• Cancer (when end-stage, or when treatment produces wasting illness or intractable nausea and vomiting)
• Crohn’s disease
• Epidermolysis bullosa
• HIV/AIDS
• Intractable pain (pain unresponsive to ordinary medications or surgical measures)
• Lupus
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for patients 18 and older, resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma.
• Seizure disorder related to the diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma
• Sickle cell disease
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Mitochondrial disease
• Patients in end-stage hospice care

Whereas most states allow for new conditions to be approved via the petition process, this is not the case in Georgia, and for new conditions to be added, an act must be introduced by the legislature of Georgia.

Georgia’s application process involves a physician. Whereas most states involve the patient applying to the state themselves, in Georgia, your physician applies on your behalf.

Step 1: Consult With a Registered Georgia Physician

Arrange for a visit to a doctor licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board and who is treating you for the condition which qualifies you to apply.

After determining that you are qualified to receive the treatment, the doctor fills in two required forms:

• Low THC Oil Waiver Form – This should be filled by both you (patient or caregiver) and the doctor, and then notarized
• Physician Certification Form – This form should be filled solely by the doctor

The doctor keeps the original forms in your medical record and gives you a copy if you so require.

Step 2: Provide Required Identification

You must provide your physician with a valid form of government-issued photo identification. Acceptable documents include:

• Georgia driver’s license or state-issued ID
• U.S. passport
• Military ID
• Other valid government-issued photo ID

If a caregiver is also applying, their identification must be provided as well.

Step 3: Physician Submits the Application to DPH

Upon signing and notarizing the forms, your doctor will submit the form on your behalf directly to the Low THC Oil Registry of the Georgia Department of Public Health. The patient is not responsible for submitting an application to the department.

The DPH Low THC Oil Unit will then review the submitted information.

Step 4: Pay for Your Registry Card

Upon confirmation of your data and issuance of your card, you will receive an email with the link to the payment gateway of the DPH. Your card fee is as follows:

• $30 per card (non-refundable)
• Additional $3.75 service charge when using the online payment gateway

Alternatively, you can send a money order worth $30 to the DPH if unable to make the payment online.

The payment must be made within 60 days from the receipt of the payment request email. Failure to do so will cause your card to be revoked,, and you must contact your doctor to get your card restored.

The caregiver card costs $30 per card as well. In case of multiple parents/legal guardians, each one can apply for his/her own card separately.

Step 5: Receive Your Card

After processing of your payment, the card will be delivered to you by UPS to your mailing address in about 10 business days. Delivery requires a signature – meaning that someone needs to receive the package on your behalf. In case there are three unsuccessful deliveries, the card will be returned to DPH, and you will be required to request for shipment again.

In case you don’t have a permanent place of residence or if you use a PO box, the card will be sent to the nearest public health department office.

The validity period for the card will be five years after processing of your payment.

When you have an active card, you are legally allowed to own no more than 20 ounces of oil containing a low amount of THC. However, you must carry your active card with you whenever you carry the oil – failure to do so will not excuse you from criminal liability.

The purchases are supposed to be made from any of the 14 authorized dispensing pharmacies that are regulated by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.

This is worth understanding clearly. Georgia law does not permit cardholders to:

• Grow marijuana plants at home
• Possess marijuana in leaf or plant form
• Smoke or vape cannabis in any form
• Consume cannabis-infused food or edible products
• Purchase cannabis from unlicensed sources

The parent or guardian of any such eligible patient, including minors, can be registered as a caregiver and obtain their respective Low THC Oil Registry Card. The application for registration of the caregiver will be processed concurrently with that of the patient. Each caregiver needs to present valid ID proof to the certifying physician along with payment of the $30 registration fee.

Georgia provides only limited and conditional recognition for visitors holding cards from another state. If you are an existing cardholder in another state for the use of low THC oil, which parallels Georgia’s state law, you have been in Georgia for less than 45 days, then you might be granted immunity from prosecution. However, please note that there is no reciprocity agreement between Georgia and any other states.

Validity of cards lasts for 5 years. Upon expiration of the validity period, the individual needs to return to the doctor who certified him/her for registration and confirmation of continued certification. The individual will then pay the card cost of $30.

Key Things To Remember

• Georgia is not a full medical marijuana state – only low-THC oil (≤5% THC) is legal for registered patients
• Recreational marijuana remains completely illegal in Georgia
• Only physicians licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board can certify patients – no NPs or PAs
• Patients do not register with the state themselves – the physician handles the entire submission
• The waiver form must be notarized before submission
• Payment must be made within 60 days of receiving the payment link, or the card is cancelled
• Cards are valid for 5 years and are physically mailed via UPS (signature required)
• Home cultivation is strictly prohibited, even for registered patients