At one time, Dr. Robert Milhous was against the use of medical marijuana, but after years of research, he sees the medical benefits derived from one type of cannabis plant and is a huge proponent of its use for patients.
In 2015 then-Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law the Haleigh’s Hope Act, which allowed registered patients and their caregivers to legally possess up to 20 fluid ounces of low-THC oil with doctors’ recommendations. While this paved the way for medical marijuana registration cards, it did not provide patients with safe, legal access to the medicine.
In 2018, former President Donald Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act, or the 2018 Farm Bill, which, according to the FDA website, removed hemp, defined as Cannabis sativa L., with extremely low concentrations of the psychoactive compound delta-9-THC from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act.
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In 2019, Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Georgia’s Hope Act, which allowed patients to access low-THC medical cannabis oil in-state, and up to six private growers and two universities (University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University) to cultivate medical cannabis preparations. That same year, Kemp also signed the Georgia Hemp Farming Act, authorizing the research, production and processing of industrial hemp.
By this point, the Augusta chiropractor had already been working with the University of Georgia in anticipation of the school starting a hemp farm.
Milhouse sees his story as ironic, considering his background. Many of his friends are in law enforcement or the military. His earlier views regarding cannabis plants had been staunchly conservative.
“I was taught this is the devil’s lettuce,” he said. “This was evil.”
The owner of Augusta Chiropractic on Washington Road had been doing a study with the Medical College of Georgia when he had a stroke.
“My wife is at the store, and I had to call her to come to the house,” said Milhous, recalling the day, Aug. 19, 2015. “Come now, come quick. And she can tell by my voice something’s wrong.”
By the time his wife arrived, Milhous says, the right side of his face was sagging and he could barely lift his right arm. He was 38 years old.
“And that pretty much led me down, if you will, a huge rabbit hole,” he said.
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Milhous was in the middle of a research project about the effects of chiropractic on people with high blood pressure, not knowing that his own blood pressure had “gotten out of hand.”
Over a year of physical and occupational therapy followed, as well as taking martial arts to help him recover balance. What also followed was what Milhous himself refers to as a radicalization, as by the beginning of 2016 he was headfirst into an investigation of medicinal hemp treatments, which he found especially effective in alleviating pain and mobility issues. This also spurred queries into medical marijuana, its effects, health benefits and Georgia laws pertaining to it.
By 2017, he had launched the Georgia Cannabis Project, a research and promotional initiative he funds himself.
In 2018, Milhous began educating his patients about cannabidiol, or CBD, an extract from the cannabis plant—distinct from tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that causes the “high” from marijuana. He incorporated the use of several brands of CBD products into his clinical practice.
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This was the beginning of Augusta Hemp Company, which operates online, in partnership with Atlanta-based medicinal hemp producer Pangaea Rx.
On July 26, its television commercial aired, among the first hemp company ads broadcast in Georgia.
Augusta Hemp’s biggest sellers, Milhouse says, are its Delta 8 and THC-O products. It’s also a big seller of terpene kits.
Terpenes are compounds that naturally occur in many plants, and in cannabis is the source of its strong smell. However, they contain no THC, and tinctures made from them are used to alleviate symptoms such as nausea and chronic pain.
Milhouse’s practice, Augusta Chiropractic Clinic, and Augusta Hemp Company are located at 2321 Washington Rd. For more information, visit www.augustahempcompany.com.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
