Georgia lawmakers just voted to supercharge the state’s medical marijuana program, approving a bill that scraps strict THC percentage caps and even lets some patients vape their medicine. The House signed off on Senate Bill 220 and sent it to Gov. Brian Kemp, shifting the system away from the old “low-THC oil” label and formally embracing the term “medical cannabis.”
Under the bill, the current 5 percent THC ceiling would be replaced with a cumulative 12,000-milligram limit, and patients 21 and older would be allowed to use vape products. Supporters say the overhaul is meant to line up with how doctors actually treat patients and to clear up confusion that has dogged the program since day one.
What the bill changes
Senate Bill 220, officially titled the “Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act,” replaces the 5 percent THC cap with a 12,000-milligram cumulative limit and swaps the statutory phrase “low-THC oil” for “medical cannabis,” according to reporting by Georgia Recorder. The House version also restores vaping as an approved route of administration for patients 21 and older and adds lupus and other conditions to the qualifying list while removing “severe” and “end-stage” qualifiers for some illnesses.
Patients and the commission say the label confused people
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission said in a 2026 report that the “low-THC oil” label often led patients to assume products were either weak or just hemp, which discouraged some from signing up for the program. The commission’s reports page lists annual filings from the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission. CBS Atlanta reported that the document quoted patients who said they wanted “the real stuff” rather than “that low THC oil stuff.”
Lawmakers and patients weigh in
On the House floor, supporters including Rep. Mark Newton, a physician who sponsored the bill in the chamber, argued the changes would better reflect how clinicians prescribe and would provide faster relief for some patients. Rep. Alan Powell praised the measure as supporting a “natural product” approach.
Opponents countered that the science behind broader access is still limited and urged more research and stricter guardrails on dosing and delivery methods, concerns reported by Georgia Recorder.
Next steps
The House cleared the bill by a wide margin, with the floor vote reported as 144 to 21, and the measure now awaits Gov. Kemp’s signature to become law, CBS Atlanta reported. If Kemp signs it, Georgia would join other states that allow medical cannabis in expanded forms while keeping recreational use illegal. Lawmakers have emphasized that smoking and public consumption would remain off-limits.
Before the session ends, legislators are expected to iron out any technical tweaks with the Senate, and the commission would then be responsible for updating program rules if the governor signs off, according to reporting from Georgia Public Broadcasting.
