Cancer patients in Georgia struggle to access medical cannabis despite having legal authorization | Research

The takeaway

In a survey of 101 cancer patients with medical marijuana cards in Georgia, 68% reported difficulty obtaining THC products and 64% had concerns about legality, despite being legally authorized.

Medical cannabis patients in restrictive states, palliative care clinicians, and cannabis policy advocates.

68% of legally authorized patients struggled to obtain cannabis

What the researchers found

Among 101 patients in Georgia's low-THC oil program, 76% had advanced cancer as their qualifying condition. Cannabis was rated extremely helpful for pain. Major concerns: ability to obtain THC (68%) and legality issues (64%). Several patients were using unapproved cannabis formulations. Physicians were the primary information source for 48%.

Why it matters

Georgia exemplifies the problem of restrictive medical cannabis laws: patients are legally authorized but have no in-state dispensaries or reliable access points, forcing them to navigate a confusing and potentially illegal landscape.

The numbers in context

101 respondents. 56% male. 64% over age 50. 76% qualified for advanced cancer. 68% concerned about obtaining product. 64% concerned about legality. 48% got information from physicians. 38% used unapproved formulations.

How the study worked

Survey of patients registered for medical marijuana (low-THC oil cards) in an ambulatory palliative care practice in Georgia.

What this study cannot tell us

Single clinic, single state. Small sample. Self-reported outcomes. Georgia's laws are among the most restrictive and may not generalize to other medical cannabis states.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: small single-site survey with self-reported data.

When this study was published

Published in 2019.

The bigger picture

Several states have authorized medical cannabis in restrictive forms but failed to build access infrastructure. This creates a cruel gap where patients know cannabis could help but cannot legally obtain it.

Questions still open

Should states be required to provide access infrastructure before authorizing medical cannabis? How many patients turn to unregulated products when legal access fails? Do restrictive laws inadvertently increase patient risk?

Common questions

What makes Georgia's law restrictive?

Georgia permits low-THC oil for qualifying patients but did not initially establish in-state dispensaries, meaning patients had no legal way to purchase the products they were authorized to use.

Were patients using illegal products?

Several respondents reported using unapproved cannabis formulations, likely obtained outside the legal program due to access barriers.

Read the original research

Concerns of Patients With Cancer on Accessing Cannabis Products in a State With Restrictive Medical Marijuana Laws: A Survey Study.

Journal of oncology practice, 15(10), 531-538

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Singh, Vinita; Zarrabi, Ali J; Curseen, Kimberly A; Sniecinski, Roman; Welsh, Justine W; McKenzie-Brown, Anne M; Baer, Wendy; Gillespie, Theresa W. (2019). Concerns of Patients With Cancer on Accessing Cannabis Products in a State With Restrictive Medical Marijuana Laws: A Survey Study.. Journal of oncology practice, 15(10), 531-538. https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.19.00184