Georgians could see medical cannabis delivery services by the end of October

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on rules for delivery of medical cannabis.

Gary Long, CEO of Botanical Sciences, said the commission held a 45-day public review and comment period, and the vote was unanimous. The proposed rules now go to the Georgia secretary of state’s office, which is expected to issue a final decision.

Access for rural and sick patients

Long said delivery would increase access for thousands of patients who live in rural communities or are too sick to leave their homes. He said some patients drive two or more hours to reach his stores.

“They’re traveling two, two and a half hours, and it’s really troublesome for them because many of them are very sick,” Long said. “And they really have to make an effort to try to make that trip just to buy medicine to help them feel better and manage their lives appropriately.”

He said people in long-term care facilities also would be good candidates for delivery service.

Long said the state has looked to other states to see what works and bring that to Georgia. He said rescheduling of cannabis at the federal level from Schedule I to Schedule III has helped change the way people view cannabis.

How deliveries would work

Long said the U.S. Postal Service would be a primary part of deliveries, and if approved, the rules would give privately owned companies like FedEx the option to be part of the program.

He said Botanical Sciences is working closely with the state and with technology to make sure products don’t end up in the wrong hands.

“A trail that will follow each of these deliveries where we’ll know where that product is at all times,” Long said. “And even taking photographs once the product’s been delivered and those types of things to verify that the person receiving the product is actually the patient who it was intended for.”

He said the company has to be vigilant about safety in getting products from point A to point B, using technology to verify identity with a patient’s medical cannabis card and to make sure products reach the right person.

Program growth

Long said Georgia’s program has progressed, with the state adding 2,000 to 2,500 people a week to the registry, or nearly 10,000 a month. He said there are now more than 57,000 patients on the state’s registry.

He said Botanical Sciences is a state-sanctioned source and everything the company has is tested by the state’s laboratory and free of anything that could cause harm.

How to get involved

If approved by the state attorney general, people can go to botanicalsciences.com, where there is a button to click to sign up for delivery services, Long said. He said users will have to get verified to see if they qualify and then can order online and get delivery.

He said the company will ship only throughout Georgia, and no product will sit in a warehouse. He said most products will come from Glennville, with distribution in Atlanta, so medicine is not sitting in a truck. Delivery should take one to two days to get to a patient’s doorstep, he said.

A final decision from the secretary of state is expected.