ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia’s medical cannabis program expanded Wednesday under a new state law that allows licensed dispensaries to sell cannabis in flower and vape forms and eliminates the state’s previous 5% THC cap.

Supporters said the change was designed to give patients faster relief, while critics argued it could be abused as a step toward recreational marijuana.

The new products remain illegal for the general public. Dispensaries can only sell them to people with a Georgia medical cannabis card.

For patients, advocates said, the biggest difference is speed. Inhaled products can take effect faster than oils or other forms when pain flares or a seizure starts.

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Ken Sass, a medical cannabis patient, said he has lived with chronic pain for years after surgeries and scar tissue.

“I really started falling apart,” Sass said.

Sass said he previously relied on prescription medication.

“Codeine’s powerful… and it gets to the point where it’s a little too powerful,” he said.

Becky Lynch said medical cannabis has been critical for her 19-year-old daughter Nora, who is epileptic and legally blind.

“My daughter would not be alive today without medical cannabis,” Lynch said.

Gary Long, CEO of Botanical Sciences, said the changes signaled a shift in Georgia’s approach.

“Georgia has now modernized the program — we are now a true medical cannabis program,” Long said.

Long said regulated access means patients can buy tested products with clear labeling through licensed dispensaries, rather than turning to unregulated sources.

Georgia has about 35,000 medical cannabis cardholders, according to the state Department of Public Health. Botanical Sciences estimated more than 1 million Georgians could potentially qualify based on medical conditions.

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