More than 100 new patients have received permission to use a form of medical marijuana in Georgia this month, bringing the statewide total of people using the product to more than 1800 less than three years after the state began the program.

They still don’t have easy access to the drug, which can’t legally be produced in Georgia or brought across state lines under federal law. Instead, patients and families have to find a manufacturer willing to ship products or travel to another state where the oil is made and risk being caught breaking the law as they return home.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal approved an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program on Tuesday, allowing people being treated for six additional medical conditions to possess cannabis oil.

The new qualifying conditions include autism, AIDS, Tourette’s syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease. Patients must register with the state to be eligible and have a doctor’s permission.

Many of the additions restrict use to patients who are in severe or end-stage condition. The new law also allows people in a hospice program, regardless of diagnosis, to legally possess the oil that’s low in THC, the chemical responsible for the marijuana high.

Medical marijuana is legal in Georgia. Kind of.

Though the state passed a measure legalizing medical cannabis in 2015, it remains illegal to buy, sell, or grow the plant. That's why Georgia Rep. Allen Peake, a conservative Christian who sponsored the legalization bill, runs an underground "distribution network" to get the medicine to registered patients throughout the state.

When the Georgia Legislature voted last month to expand its medical marijuana program, it wasn't to legalize growing operations or streamline the application process. Instead, they added to a list of qualifying conditions; going forward, patients with AIDS, Alzheimer's or Tourette's syndrome will be eligible to buy cannabis oil with very low amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound in weed. 

The Georgia state Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the state's limited medical marijuana law to include people with 15 medical conditions, up from nine currently.

The bill now goes to Governor Nathan Deal to sign into law.

Unlike many other U.S. states that have medical marijuana laws that allow smokable and edible forms of cannabis to be used by people who have a wide range of conditions, Georgia only allows cannabis oil and even then, for a limited number of maladies.

The state Senate passed the expansion by a 45-6 vote. The measure was earlier approved by Georgia's House of Representatives.

The Georgia General Assembly is on the cusp of expanding access to medical cannabis.

The House voted 167-4 Tuesday to pass a bill that would add six new diagnoses to the list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis oil, including autism, AIDS, Tourette's syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease. However, many of the diagnoses will be restricted to when the condition is severe or in the end-stage.

Additionally, anyone in a hospice program, regardless of diagnosis, will be allowed access to marijuana oil that's low on THC, the chemical responsible for the marijuana high.

The two Georgia lawmakers behind two different medical cannabis expansion plans say they’re in talks, as the annual legislative session reaches its closing days.

As long as a month ago, some lawmakers predicted some kind of showdown or compromise over the two bills.

A Georgia city wants to reduce the penalties for people caught with small amounts of marijuana.

Temple wants to reduce the fine from a thousand dollars to $75 for anyone with less than an ounce of pot with no jail time.

WATCH: Hear in their own words what city officials have to say about the proposed change in the law

The city said it is because a lot of college kids drive through the city.

“What I have the power to do is introduce amendments to an already existing ordinance that limits the punishment for less than an ounce of marijuana within the city of Temple,” said Council Member Penny Ransom.

If all goes according to plan, Georgia could become the next state to reduce criminal penalties associated with the possession of marijuana.

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee put their stamp of approval on a measure aimed at treating small time pot possession as a misdemeanor rather than a felony. The proposal would allow citizens to hold up to two ounces of weed without scarring their permanent record with felonious marks. Instead, police would book these people under a misdemeanor classification, which would give defendants more opportunities to stay out of jail.