Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, said he expects to introduce rewritten legislation on Monday to allow medical use of cannabis oil in Georgia.
The revised bill reflects a compromise with Gov. Nathan Deal that gives immunity from prosecution to families who purchase cannabis oil with small amounts of THC, the chemical in marijuana that causes intoxication. The legislation will also set up a commission to recommend a regulatory structure for marijuana cultivation in Georgia for medical purposes. The legislation would not allow the smoking of marijuana or its recreational use.
“We’re getting the final sign-off from leadership on the revised HB1, if you will, and we’re planning on introducing it, probably on Monday,” Peake told this InsiderAdvantage writer Wednesday. Peake prefiled HB 1, the original version of the legislation.
With the support of House Speaker David Ralston and Deal, Peake said he’s hopeful the Legislature will streamline the bill. “I’m fully expecting to have it on the governor’s desk very quickly and start bringing families back home.”
The study commission to study the regulatory model for in-state cultivation and distribution of cannabis oil will be composed of physicians, law enforcement officials and lab company representatives, Peake said. The panel will make its recommendations by Dec. 31 this year.
“There’s great potential for economic opportunity for in-state cultivation,” Peake said. “The challenge is finding out what is the best model. There’s a hodgepodge of models across the country in different states. It’ll be up to the commission to make recommendations about what’s best for Georgia citizens.”
The bill upon the governor’s signature will immediately decriminalize the possession of cannabis oil containing between 3 to 5 percent THC, covering Georgians who have attained the substance legally in another state to treat medical conditions.
The change is necessary because federal law prohibits transporting cannabis oil across state lines. “The immunity language is crucial to giving families options,” Peake said. He said that at least 17 Georgia families have had to move to Colorado or other states to obtain the substance.
Peake said that his advocacy of cannabis oil for medical use began when the parents of Haleigh Cox approached him for help. When he met the child, who suffered from epileptic seizures, she reminded him of his 4-year-old granddaughter. “If this was my child, what would I do?” he asked himself, and decided that he would take whatever political risk to find a solution.
The therapeutic part of the marijauna plant, cannabidiol (CBD), significantly reduces seizures in children suffering from epilepsy, he said, adding that they can suffer 100 seizures a day. One child using cannabis oil has gone eight days without seizures, he said.
The substance also significantly improves the children’s cognitive ability and allows them to to “to be weaned from FDA drugs causing debilitating side effects,” he said.
The legislation also allows cannabis oil use for cancer, glaucoma, ALS, MS and fibromyalgia patients, he said. The oil can be used in pill form, taken intravenously or spread on food.
If the immunity portion of the bill is approved, Georgia families could have several options. A Colorado manufacturer indicated willingness to ship the substance because it would be so low in THC to be considered hemp.
Neighboring states are also close to manufacturing a product that could be considered hemp. The families could drive to those states and legally purchase the product. They would violate federal law when crossing the border, but be covered under the immunity.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has requested that an exemption from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Justice Department for his state’s citizens, and Peake said he would request Deal to take similar action.
Deal in his state of the state speech last week said “this year, I hope to sign legislation to decriminalize cannabis oil in Georgia so that families who need it and who obtain it legally will not be prosecuted for the possession of it.”
The governor made clear that he doesn’t support marijuana legalization for recreational use. “We want to find a pathway to bring our children home from Colorado without becoming Colorado,” he said.
Peake last year introduced legislation allowing medical use of cannabis oil, but it didn’t survive the session after it was combined with legislation requiring insurers to cover autism spectrum disorders. New Senate legislation on the autism issue, SB1, has been introduced this year.
