Georgia’s cannabis industry abuzz over new products

By Meghan Packer

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    ATLANTA (WGCL) — New products are bringing in curious customers to ATLRx in Atlanta.

Management said they’re trying to keep up with the demand after they recently started selling cannabis combounds that are new to the market and new to Georgia.

“When we’re talking about the new buzz, these are all what are called cannabinoids so they’re different compounds in cannabis,” explained the store’s district manager Griffin Walter-Bailey.

The new popular products are known as THC-V, THC-O and HHC. You can buy THC-V and THC-O in gummy and vaping forms and HHC in vaping form. Eighteen-year-olds can buy anything in the store except vaping products. Those are only sold to people 21 and older.

“With THC-V, it is more so like the caffeine equivalent for cannabis,” Walter-Bailey explained. “One of our owners refers to it as weederall. I think that’s a good term for it.”

“The THC-O is a little bit heaver, it can be a little bit cerebral in larger doses,” he explained.

Mike Lindenmayer stopped in the store for the first time to try some products, including THC-O.

“I’m a writer and I hear it’s pretty good for creativity so I’m going to sit down and try it out tonight,” he said.

As for another new product gaining popularity, Walter-Bailey said, “HHC is really similar to THC in effects.”

“This one is more potent than other products and is the closest thing we sell to traditional Delta-9,” he added.

In addition to offering similar effects as medical marijuana, THC-O and HHC can also give you a legal high.

Walter-Bailey said all of the products they sell are legal under the 2018 federal Farm Bill.

“I have referred to it as a legal loophole but to be brutally honest I think we’ll see federal decriminalization before we see something like this fade away,” he said.

The new products don’t come without some concerns.

“Because we haven’t had a lot of experience, it’s really a buyers beware market because these have the potential to cause some bigtime problems,” said Georgia Poison Center Executive Director Gaylord Lopez.

“People aren’t talking to medical professionals when they’re buying these kinds of products,” he said. “These products are not covered nor have they been certified for safety by the FDA.”

The poison center has gotten calls about adverse reactions in adults and in children who have accidentally ingested other compounds, so Lopez advises people to proceed with caution.

“If you want medical advice about a product that’s basically a drug you need to take it from a professional,” he said.

ATLRx sends customers homes with information sheets on proper dosing.

“We want everybody to be well prepared for what’s about to happen,” said Walter-Bailey. “I don’t want somebody to take a gummy and an hour later they’re freaking out.”

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