Federal agency quashes Georgia's plan to let pharmacies sell medical marijuana
ATLANTA– Federal drug officials are warning Georgia to suspend its plans to become the first state to allow pharmacies to dispense medical marijuana products.
News outlets report that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warned pharmacies on Nov. 27 that dispensing medical marijuana violates federal law.
The Georgia Board of Pharmacy began accepting applications to dispense the products in October. Licenses have already been issued to 23 independent pharmacies in Georgia, the board said.
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which oversees Georgia's fledgling medical marijuana industry, said it cannot override the federal directive even though dispensaries are allowed to dispense the products under state law.
Andrew Turnage, executive director of the commission, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the state would like to see pharmacists be able to continue providing consultations for medical cannabis products, just as they do with other medications.
In a memo to pharmacies, the DEA said none of them can legally possess, handle or dispense marijuana or related products containing more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol — the psychoactive chemical known as THC that gives users a high.
Georgia lets patients with medical needs purchase medical marijuana products with up to 5% THC. Marijuana sold for recreational use usually has a higher level.
The DEA said it considers products derived from the cannabis plant with a THC content of more than 0.3% to be marijuana, making it illegal under federal drug laws.
Since 2015, Georgia has allowed patients with certain diseases and physician approval to possess and consume low-THC medical cannabis products. But until April, there was no legal way to purchase the product in Georgia.
Nationally, 24 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Another 23 allow some form of medical cannabis.
The recent DEA notice was published online by the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which generally opposes the legalization of marijuana.
Ira Katz of Little Five Points Pharmacy in Atlanta told WXIA-TV that he believed pharmacies like his should be able to dispense the products the same as marijuana dispensaries.
“It just doesn't make sense to me that people can go to a pharmacy and not go to a pharmacy,” he said. “We would buy it from the same growers.”
Mahlon Davidson, interim CEO of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, said he doubted independent pharmacists would risk jeopardizing their businesses by ignoring the DEA.
“The current conflict between state and federal law places Georgia's pharmacies in a difficult position,” the Georgia Pharmacy Association wrote in a letter to pharmacists, adding that the association is “making every effort to help provide and ensure timely information.” help navigate this situation.” problem.”
Those opposed to rapid legalization of marijuana say the DEA's position will protect consumers and allow time for more research.
Michael Mumper, executive director of the nonprofit Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy, said consumers trust that medications dispensed in pharmacies have been fully tested, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are federally legal. Mumper said this is not the case with medical marijuana.
But the federal position could change if a recent proposal to loosen restrictions on marijuana goes through. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed in August to remove marijuana from the prohibited list of Schedule I substances and reclassify it as a lower-risk Schedule III drug.