By Rebecca Gaunt
When HB 885 died in the 2014 sine die of the Georgia Legislature to legalize medicinal cannabis, Jimmy J-Bo Wages tearfully turned to his daughter Sydney and said, “Baby, daddy won’t stop. We will continue the fight.”
Nine years later, the Wages became the first customers to purchase medicinal cannabis at one of the first two dispensaries to open in Georgia.
The parents are supporting Sebastien Cotte, Shannon Cloud and Blaine Cloud, and daughter Alaina with Renee Legere, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Trulieve. (Photo by Rebecca Gaunt)
The Cobb County Dispensary is located in Marietta at 220 Cobb Parkway.
“Over the years we have met many brave families. I’m looking at a lot of them right here in front of me right now. We fought shoulder to shoulder and made great strides in that state,” he tearfully said as he made eye contact with other emotional parents in the audience.
A line of about 30 people waited to enter the new store. Security was tight. The first locked door led to a lobby where customers checked in and showed their ID. A second locked door led to the salesroom.
After completing the first sale transaction, J-Bo Wages was emotional as he presented the bag to his daughter Sydney. (Photo by Rebecca Gaunt)
At the same time, a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for another Trulieve pharmacy in Macon, home to former State Assemblyman Allen Peake, the Republican lawmaker who proposed and campaigned for the Haleigh’s Hope Act until his retirement in 2018 present.
Alaina Cloud hugs Father Blaine as they tour the store. (Photo by Rebecca Gaunt)
He was inspired after meeting Haleigh Cox, a young girl in his district who had hundreds of seizures a day. Haleigh and her mother, Janea, currently reside in Colorado.
Some of the attendees at Friday morning’s grand opening have been familiar faces at the Gold Dome for nearly a decade and are pushing for entry. Neither of them thought it would take so long.
The Wages family joined Tim Morey, CSO of Trulieve, in the ribbon cutting. (Photo by Rebecca Gaunt)
“We definitely thought it would go a lot quicker… after 2-3 years I just thought it’s going to take a while,” said Sebastien Cotte.
Cotte’s son Jagger has a mitochondrial disease and the family relocated to Colorado for a time where it was already legal. They returned to Georgia in 2015 when former Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 1 that created a patient registry and allowed possession of low-THC oil.
But that was not all. The final version of HB 1 did not permit cultivation or purchase in the state of Georgia. Patients had to break federal law by bringing it back across state lines.
In 2019, Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 324, or Georgia’s Hope Act, which created regulations for a limited number of companies to grow and sell medical marijuana.
“The longest part for me is the last four years. I mean, it’s been nine years since we started this. But the last four because we actually had an invoice and it was legal to set up these companies and they just couldn’t set it up because they had an inappropriate process for doing so. But we’re finally here,” said Blaine Cloud, whose 17-year-old daughter Alaina has a seizure disorder called Dravet Syndrome.
“2,934 days since patients first received cards,” said Shannon Cloud, who was also frustrated by the delays.
Photo by Rebecca Gaunt
Even after the Cultivation Act was passed, the process got off to a slow start and was then plagued by lawsuits from business applicants claiming that the license selection process was fraudulent and corrupt.
It was a learning experience for many of the parent and patient advocates, new to the world of state politics and the challenge of getting a bill to the finish line, when they first met in December 2013 to prepare.
“Today we completed a nearly 10-year journey to bring medicinal cannabis oil to the citizens of Georgia. It is a testament to the many brave and persistent families who have struggled for years to gain access for their loved ones. They are the true heroes of this effort and it has been an honor to fight alongside them,” Peake told the Courier.
Georgia’s medicinal program is limited as THC levels are capped at 5%. Edibles and smokable forms are not permitted.
“That’s not the finish line,” Shannon said.
Photo by Rebecca Gaunt
Trulieve sells capsules, tinctures, and topical lotions. Customers must present an active low-THC oil patient registration card in order to purchase. Around 27,000 people currently have a card.
Recreational use is still illegal in Georgia.
“The state of Georgia has reached a very important milestone for some of the most vulnerable patients in our state. MAG will continue to promote safety and education on behalf of patients who, in consultation with their physician, wish to pursue this form of treatment,” said Dr. Kelly DeGraffenreid, a family doctor, told the Courier in an email.
DeGraffenreid is the former Chair of the Medical Association of Georgia’s Medical Cannabis Task Force and current Chair of MAG’s Institute for Excellence in Medicine.
Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for a few years, she turned to writing again. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats and a dog. In her free time, she loves to read, watch Netflix and travel.
