A pharmacy in Augusta is boldly selling medical marijuana, defying a warning issued nearly a year ago from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration that dispensing medical marijuana violates federal law.
Vic Johnson, pharmacist and owner of the Living Well Pharmacy, believes the ever-evolving legal and political landscape of marijuana laws are on his side.
He points to the Justice Department’s pending proposal to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less dangerous — and less tightly regulated — Schedule III drug.
The Georgia General Assembly approved distribution of low THC oil as part of a state law passed in 2019, but it took years to navigate the government process of creating regulations for safety, inspections, licensing and distribution. Late last year, Gov. Brian Kemp approved rules that were passed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy, clearing the way for pharmacy sales to begin.
Since Johnson started dispensing medical cannabis earlier this month, he said he has adhered to the state’s requirements for doing so: He only sells to customers who are on the state’s medical cannabis registry.