Georgia's biggest-ever expansion of its medical cannabis program takes effect Wednesday, allowing stronger products, more qualifying conditions, and sales through independent pharmacies.

Why it matters: The changes significantly broaden access to regulated medical cannabis and may bring Georgia closer to neighboring Southern states' programs.

• Industry leaders believe enrollment may eventually triple.

Zoom in: The changes, passed under the Putting Georgia's Patients First Act, permit patients 21 and over. to use medical cannabis in vape form, which has a faster onset than oils or edibles, at home.

• The law also replaces the state's 5% THC potency cap with a 12,000-milligram possession limit.
• It expands and broadens the list of qualifying medical conditions, including lupus and inflammatory bowel disease.

Georgia's more than 400 independent pharmacies can now sell medical cannabis — a first in the nation, Botanical Sciences CEO Gary Long, tells Axios.

• The move makes the drug more accessible to people who don't live near one of the state's roughly 20 licensed dispensaries, most of which are in metro Atlanta or central Georgia.

By the numbers: 35,662 Georgia residents are active patients in the medical marijuana program, according to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.

• Long says expanded eligibility, new product options and broader access through pharmacies could triple enrollment in the next 12 months.

Zoom out: Georgia is moving away from one of the country's most restrictive medical cannabis programs while cracking down on the less regulated hemp market.

• Hemp industry leaders are lobbying Congress to change a federal law that would greatly reduce the amount of total THC per container.
• Businesses say the new limit, which is set to take effect in November, is so small that they many products would be commercially unviable.

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In addition to the state's $38.5 billion budget coming online, new laws that kick in today include:

⚖️ Lawsuits: Georgia property owners can sue local governments if they think their property values were hurt by a city or county's failure to enforce certain laws, including those related to homelessness, immigration and public safety.

• Local governments opposed the measure, arguing it could burden cities and counties with a barrage of legal challenges.

🐗 Feral hogs: People can now capture the invasive animals without a hunting license. Trapped hogs must be euthanized, the law says.

👦 Early learning: The new law expands eligibility for Georgia's Pre-K program and gives parents the option of enrolling a first-grade-eligible child in kindergarten instead.

📵 Cell phones: Georgia public K-8 schools are required to ban students' cell phones, tablets and personal internet-connected devices during the school day.

📢 Student speech: Public school students gain new protections to organize political activities and groups under the "True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act," a bill inspired by Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

🦐 Shrimp: Restaurants must disclose on the menu or "placards visible to the public" whether the shrimp they're serving is "foreign imported."

See more new laws // Read the General Assembly's summaries (PDF)

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Residents needing relief from the heat dome that's brought dangerously hot temperatures to most of Georgia can seek shelter at Atlanta's cooling center.

Why it matters: The extreme heat, which is expected to last through the weekend, will be a threat to unhoused people and people whose homes do not have air conditioning.

The latest: The cooling center at Selena S. Butler Park at 98 William Holmes Borders Senior Drive will operate until further notice from 11am to 6pm Monday through Friday, the city said in a press release.

• Caveat: It will not be open July 3 as that's when Atlanta will observe Independence Day.
• The center will have bottled water on hand.

Zoom in: Thirty Atlanta fire stations will also serve as hydration stations, and a map of their locations can be found here.

For the water lovers: Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation splash pads, which are free, are open daily from 10am to 8pm (with the exception of July 3-4).

For the swimmers: Outdoor and indoor pools are available. Free swimming throughout the summer will be offered on certain days and times at indoor pools.

State of play: Daytime temperatures are expected to hover in the mid- to upper-90s through the rest of the week. But when you factor in humidity, the heat index will reach or exceed 100 degrees in some areas.

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"The thing that really struck me coming to the southeast four years ago is that this region is sports-mad, you know? You're absolutely obsessed with it. And of course, in England, in the U.K., we're obsessed with soccer, and I think it's a match made in heaven."

-Rachel Galloway, British Consul General in Atlanta, on one of the many strong connections between the U.K. and Atlanta.

Driving the news: England and the Democratic Republic of Congo face off today at noon in the knock-out round of the FIFA World Cup.

🙏 Looking for a way to help earthquake victims in Venezuela? Here's a list of organizations that are accepting donations. (285 South)

As license plate reader technology becomes more prevalent, some Georgia law enforcement officers have been arrested for allegedly accessing that data for personal reasons. (AJC)

The aunt of the twin 19-year-old brothers who were found dead in north Georgia said the family has accepted the GBI's ruling that both died by suicide. (11 Alive)

⚖️ A Georgia-based convenience store brand wants a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Buc-ee's that alleges Teddy's Market is using a "confusingly similar" logo. (WSB)