Qualifying condition
Lupus and the Georgia Medical Cannabis Card
A chronic autoimmune disease added to Georgia's list in 2026.
What Georgia law says
“Lupus”
Proof of a qualifying diagnosis is required. Certification is a clinical decision by the physician, and no outcome is promised. Certification is not a prescription.
What documentation usually looks like
Rheumatology notes, ANA and lupus-specific serology results, and any organ-involvement biopsy pathology.
- Lupus is diagnosed and managed by rheumatology, and the diagnostic record is built on serology. The laboratory results that appear in the chart include ANA with titer and pattern, anti-double-stranded DNA, anti-Smith antibody, complement levels C3 and C4, and antiphospholipid antibodies. Those results paired with a rheumatology note applying classification criteria are the definitive documentation.
- Organ involvement records support the file where they exist: renal biopsy pathology for lupus nephritis, skin biopsy for cutaneous lupus, and laboratory monitoring over time. Treatment history is corroborating evidence as well — hydroxychloroquine, mycophenolate, azathioprine or belimumab prescriptions in a rheumatology note document an established diagnosis.
How certification works for this condition
The process is the same for every qualifying diagnosis: you book and pay on the telehealth platform, complete your intake forms, and upload your diagnosis documentation and identification. Once that is complete your appointment is confirmed. You join by video, Dr. Shri Parimi verifies your identification and reviews your documentation and history with you, and makes a clinical decision. After a successful visit the State of Georgia emails you, you pay the state fee, and the card is mailed to you. See the six steps in detail or review the two separate fees.
If you don't have records yet
Many patients do not have their documentation in hand, and that is workable. You can ask Dr. Shri Parimi to request records from your treating physician with your written permission, or bring what you already have — a discharge summary, a portal printout, a laboratory result — and discuss the rest at the visit. Proof of a qualifying diagnosis is required before any certification can be made, so the earlier you start gathering records, the smoother the visit.
Lupus: common questions
Other qualifying conditions
Ready to start?
Proof of a qualifying diagnosis is required. Certification is a clinical decision by the physician, and no outcome is promised. Certification is not a prescription.
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