A Georgia pharmacy has made headlines by becoming what appears to be the first in the state to sell low-THC medical marijuana oil, doing so in line with state law but in defiance of a warning from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
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Living Well Pharmacy, located in Augusta, recently began offering medical marijuana (MMJ) oil with 5% or less THC, according to a report by WRDW, an Augusta TV station. This move is significant because it comes after a DEA warning last year that discouraged other pharmacies from doing the same. The *Atlanta Journal-Constitution* noted that Living Well may be the first pharmacy to enter Georgia’s MMJ oil market since that federal warning effectively shut down dozens of other potential competitors.
Georgia’s medical marijuana law, passed in 2019, has a unique provision allowing pharmacies to sell low-THC cannabis oil—something that most other states restrict to cannabis-only dispensaries. Currently, the state has 12 dispensaries licensed by the Medical Cannabis Commission, along with more than 40 businesses that hold "low-THC pharmacy" licenses, according to state records.
Independent pharmacies started selling MMJ oil last October, but those sales triggered a response from the DEA. On November 27, the DEA issued a warning to pharmacies that are licensed to sell prescription drugs, reminding them they must still follow federal law. Under federal regulations, marijuana is considered a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it is illegal to sell in any form, even if state law says otherwise.
As a result of the DEA’s warning, MMJ oil sales at “roughly a couple dozen” independent pharmacies came to a halt, according to the *Journal-Constitution*. By the end of last year, at least three pharmacies had been selling MMJ oils, but the DEA’s warning seemed to freeze much of the market.
It’s unclear what action the DEA might take next or how it will respond to Living Well Pharmacy's decision to continue selling MMJ oils. The agency has not commented on the situation to the media, and it’s unknown if any other low-THC license holders in Georgia are also currently selling these products.
The future of MMJ oil sales in Georgia’s pharmacies remains uncertain as they navigate the conflicting rules between state and federal laws.
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