Standing next to Rep. Allen Peake (R- 141 Macon), the dean of the medical marijuana issue in the Georgia House, Rep. Heath Clark (R- 147 Warner Robins) took to the podium on Thursday and spoke in favor of the measure. Clark told the story of C.J. Harris, a Warner Robins High School senior who just signed as a preferred walk on at Auburn University to play football.
His signing was kind of a big deal – Harris is not the average high school senior football player. Harris has been battling epilepsy since the 7th grade. A year ago, he was having two to three grand mal seizures a month. There was a chance he might not be able to play football anymore. “His dreams were in the balance,” said Clark. “But because of the work we have done, what we have fought for, he was able to get on the list for medical cannabis oil and he has been seizure free for over a year.”
Clark thanked Harris’ family and said his dreams are being fulfilled and will get a quality education at that “school across the Georgia border.”
Last year, Clark carried a resolution that urged Congress to change the laws and the scheduling of marijuana as a Schedule I drug. This would allow for more medical research and medical purposes. “It’s time for Congress to act,” said Clark. “We need to stop sitting around on this issue and stand up and speak up for young men like C.J. Harris. We need to be resolute and resolved in what we do in this body until every man like C.J. Harris has an opportunity to pursue his dreams.”
Clark also pushed for in state cultivation in order for Georgia to actually produce the medicinal oil that paitents such as Harris take. The law in Georgia allows for a limited number of illnesses besides epilepsy to be treated with cannabis oil. Cancer, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, Alzheimer’s and autism are among those allowed. Approximately 3,000 patients in Georgia are registered use medical marijuana. The only problem? Getting the oil.
Currently, the state does not allow for cultivation of marijuana so the oil must be produced elsewhere and brought into the state – something that actually violates federal law. Some families travel to other states to get the oil and Peake himself is helping to supply many families with the medicine. “I want to urge us all on this side (in the House), across the hall (in the Senate) and on the second floor (the governor’s office), it’s time that we pass legislation to allow cultivation in this state so that his parents aren’t forced to break federal laws to get him the treatment that he needs,” said Clark.
Peake is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow cultivation in Georgia but some in the legislature are concerned about impeding on federal law and say Congress needs to act. Speaker Ralston has expressed concern about federal law and said last month that he “there’s only so far we can go.” Without the support of the speaker, Peake’s amendment could have a difficult time.
To learn more about Georgia’s THC oil laws – https://dph.georgia.gov/low-thc-oil-faq-general-public
