MACON, Ga. — Friday was a historic day in Macon because the first medical marijuana dispensary opened its doors to the public.
It's called Trulieve. It's a cannabis company with locations in Florida, Arizona, and now, Georgia. They sell different lotions, oils, and capsules.
The Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission approved the license for the Riverside Drive location on Wednesday and they opened on Friday. CEO Kim Rivers says people can purchase their products online or in-store with the Low-THC registry card.
'It's very important for us to not only be here and open for business for sales, but also as an education center, so I would encourage folks that if you have questions about medical cannabis, if you're wondering what I do next, two things -- one, feel free to stop by our store, we'd love to talk to you, but also online at Trulieve.com," Rivers said.
So far, around 28,000 Georgians are registered medical cannabis users. When you receive approval from your doctor, then you can apply for the card. It costs $25 and it lasts for two years before you have to renew.
In 2015, former state representative Allen Peake pushed for legislation about medical marijuana use after hearing about Haleigh Cox's story. The Monroe County girl whose family started using cannabis oil to help with her seizures. Another woman was inspired to help her son and get the help he needed.
"This is Darrell, Peanut. Darrell was born with hydrocephalus and epilepsy," Leslie Johns said.
Darrell was born in May 2002 and would have seizures all the time. Johns tried different pharmaceutical medications and nothing worked. She would crush up 17 pills a day to give to Darrell. Once she heard about Cox, she applied for the THC card and tried cannabis oil. She noticed a change.
"He called me 'mama' for the first time," Johns said.
Another woman who has made history was Karen Aviles. She drove 45 minutes from Milledgeville to come to the grand opening. Aviles has had health problems all her life. After she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and arthritis, she says it's nice to finally have access.
"Knowing that I could walk through here anytime and get what I need for the relief," Aviles said.
Johns looks forward to fewer seizures and encourages those who qualify for the Low-THC card to apply.
According to the FDA, the only approved cannabis approved drug is Epidiolex. It contains "a purified form of the drug substance cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome in patients 2 years of age and older."
The other Trulieve location is located in Marietta, and those who want more information about the low-THC oil card can find it here.