The Georgia House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that would increase the number of medical cannabis production licenses from six to 15. The move is intended to resolve lawsuits brought up by companies who were denied licenses in the past, giving those companies an opportunity to reapply for a license, according to a report by Ganjapreneur.
The Albany Herald reported that the 2019 law created a state commission that was tasked with awarding two Class 1 licenses – which allowed for cannabis cultivation spaces up to 100,000 square feet – and four Class 2 licenses – which allowed for cultivation spaces up to 50,000 square feet. The two Class 1 licenses were awarded, but the remaining ones have been put on hold due to the clashes between companies affected by the new regulations.
Rep. Alan Powell sponsored the bill that passed Tuesday, which would place oversight of the medical cannabis program under contracting rules established by the Georgia Department of Administrative Services. Appeals could be directed to Georgia’s Statewide Business Court. Additionally, as the number of medical cannabis patients increase over time, additional Class 2 and Class 1 licenses will be made available accordingly – one Class 2 license for every 5,000 new patients and one Class 1 license for every 10,000 new patients.
The bill now goes before the Senate for further consideration.
