GMCS Research Initiative · 2026
2026 Georgia Medical Cannabis Patient Citizen Science Study — Results
Patient-reported outcomes, access barriers, and policy preferences from Georgia medical cannabis patients and caregivers.
94
Total participants
N = 94
83
Recent-use detailed respondents
n = 83
131 days
Data collection period
Apr 9 – Aug 18, 2026
Pending
Publication status
Manuscript draft
Headline Findings
Quality of Life & Medication Changes
97.6%
81 of 83
Reported some positive quality-of-life impact
81 of 83 recent-use respondents
81.9%
68 of 83
Reported at least one medication reduction
68 of 83 recent-use respondents. Does not prove cannabis caused the reduction.
Access Barriers
85.5%
71 of 83
Reported at least one explicit access or use barrier
71 of 83 recent-use respondents
72.3%
60 of 83
Reported difficulty attributed to program restrictions
60 of 83 recent-use respondents
63.9%
53 of 83
Said cost had prevented access
53 of 83 recent-use respondents
80.7%
67 of 83
Reported having obtained cannabis outside Georgia at some point
67 of 83 recent-use respondents. Survey does not identify sources or individuals.
Program Satisfaction & Policy Preferences
69.9%
58 of 83
Said Georgia's program did not meet patient needs
58 of 83 recent-use respondents
98.8%
82 of 83
Supported expanded medical cannabis access within this survey sample
82 of 83 recent-use respondents. Reflects this self-selected sample only.
78.3%
65 of 83
Said they would use a trusted cannabis-informed provider directory
65 of 83 recent-use respondents
Before and After July 1, 2026
The survey collected responses both before and after Georgia's July 1, 2026 medical cannabis program changes. Participants who responded after July 1 reported different experiences than those who responded before.
Veteran Respondents
Small subgroup — exploratory findings only
n = 15 veterans identified themselves as veterans or active-duty military in this survey. This is a small subgroup. Findings from this group should be treated as exploratory and hypothesis-generating only, and cannot be generalized to Georgia's veteran population.
Veteran respondents reported experiences with medical cannabis access, quality of life, and program barriers consistent with the broader sample, with some variation in reported medication changes and provider communication.
GMCS's Valor in Action program supports Georgia veterans navigating medical cannabis access.
Equity & Representation
Participants were recruited primarily through GMCS digital channels, social media, and partner networks. This recruitment approach may over-represent patients who are already engaged with advocacy organizations and under-represent patients with limited digital access, rural patients, and patients from communities with historically lower rates of medical cannabis program participation.
Manuscript & Publication Status
Manuscript Draft — Publication Status Pending
A manuscript draft is in preparation. The full manuscript is not publicly available at this time. A final publication, DOI, journal citation, or PDF will be linked here when available.
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