Is weed legal in Georgia after Trump signs order to reclassify marijuana?

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday, Dec. 18, reclassifying marijuana as a Scheduled III narcotic, a drop from the more severe Scheduled I narcotic it had been classified in for nearly 6 decades.

Since 1970, marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin, LSD, methaqualone and ecstasy. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describes Schedule I substances as having no “medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

A review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found “scientific support for its use to treat anorexia related to a medical condition, nausea and vomiting, and pain,” Trump said in the executive order.

That review came after former President Joe Biden suggested his administration take a look at reclassifying the drug in 2023. The Department of Health and Human Services also recommended that year that marijuana be reclassified based on widespread use of medical marijuana across 43 U.S. jurisdictions for more than 6 million registered patients to treat at least 15 medical conditions, the EO said.

Is marijuana now legal in Georgia?

Not yet. In fact, it’s only in the infancy of review at the federal level. Lawmakers in Georgia will have to decide if it will allow marijuana at a state level.

Many states, however, 24 to be exact, have already legalized marijuana before Trump’s order, although Georgia remains on the sidelines.

While 24 states have adopted laws allowing adults to purchase and consume cannabis for non-medical use, Georgia continues to prohibit it.

But what does the Peach State allow medically?

Has Georgia legalized recreational marijuana?

No, Georgia does not allow adult-use of cannabis.

According to NORML, possession for personal use, even under an ounce, is punishable as a misdemeanor with up to 12 months in jail or up to a $1,000 fine.

Possessing more than an ounce is a felony, carrying penalties of 1 to 10 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

Does Georgia allow marijuana medically?

Georgia allows marijuana for medical purposes only, and exclusively in the form of low-THC oil (5% THC or less). Registered patients can possess up to 20 fluid ounces.

What states have legalized recreational marijuana?

According to U.S. News and World Report, here are the 24 states to legalize marijuana:

• Washington (as of 2012)
• Alaska (as of 2014)
• Oregon (as of 2014)
• California (as of 2016)
• Montana (as of 2020)
• Colorado (as of 2012)
• Nevada (as of 2016)
• Arizona (as of 2020)
• New Mexico (as of 2021)
• Minnesota (as of 2023)
• Missouri (as of 2022)
• Illinois (as of 2019)
• Michigan (as of 2018)
• Ohio (as of 2023)
• Virginia (as of 2021)
• Maryland (as of 2023)
• Maine (as of 2016)
• Delaware (as of 2023)
• New Jersey (as of 2020)
• New York (as of 2021)
• Vermont (as of 2018)
• Massachusetts (as of 2016)
• Rhode Island (as of 2022)
• Connecticut (as of 2021)

For more information, visit usnews.com/news.

C.A. Bridges is a trending reporter for Florida Connect.

Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.