Senior Advisor Jimmy Cotty of BakerHostetler’s Government Affairs team led the firm’s lobbying effort to expand Georgia’s medical cannabis laws, resulting in the passage of Georgia SB 220, clearing the way for a significant expansion of both the medical cannabis patient registry and the addition of dispensaries serving more communities. The bill took effect July 1, 2026.
Several key provisions in SB 220 will support the expansion of the medical cannabis program:
- Removal of the severity and staging requirements for many of the conditions that permit the use of medical cannabis
- Focus on the strength of products via milligrams versus the previous use of diluted low THC oil
- Allowance of inhalable products for patients needing immediate medical onset
There are currently six medical cannabis licensees in the state, and all grow and make their own products as well as operate their own dispensaries.
