DEA Warns Georgia Against Dispensing Medical Marijuana in Pharmacies

Despite state law permitting it, federal officials maintain that the move would violate federal law, creating a conflict between state and federal regulations.

• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has warned Georgia to halt its plans to become the first state to allow pharmacies to dispense medical marijuana, stating that this would violate federal law.
• The Georgia Board of Pharmacy had begun accepting applications to dispense the products in October, and licenses have already been issued to 23 independent pharmacies in the state.
• The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which oversees the state's medical marijuana industry, has said it cannot override the federal directive, despite state law allowing pharmacies to dispense the products.
• Georgia allows patients with medical needs to buy medical marijuana products with up to 5% THC, while the DEA considers products derived from the cannabis plant with a THC content above 0.3% to be marijuana, making it illegal under federal drug law.
• The federal stance on marijuana could change if a recent proposal by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reclassify marijuana as a lower-risk Schedule III drug is approved.

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