Medical marijuana bill passes in the Georgia House

“This is extremely good news and a positive indication that there is so much support out there for this bill passing,” House Bill 1 supporter Blaine Cloud said.

House Bill 1 took a big step in the Georgia legislature. Members of the state House of Representatives passed the measure 158 to 2.

HB 1 legalizes cannabis oil with a maximum amount of 5% THC, the psychoactive part of the marijuana plant that makes users high. The oil can be used to treat nine qualifying medical conditions: cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, mitochondrial disease, sickle cell disease, and fibromyalgia. There was an amendment to add sickle cell disease to the list at the request of Democrat Rep. Stacy Abrams and other African Americans, whom the disease predominantly affects.

“There are half a million people that could benefit from cannabis oil from the passage of the bill,” Rep. Allen Peake said.

The people who meet the qualifying medical conditions would need to get a recommendation for cannabis oil from a physician. The potential patients would have to register with the Georgia Department of Public Health and be placed on the “Low-THC Oil Patient Registry.” They would receive a registration card that exempts from the prosecution in Georgia if they obtained the oil legally in another state.

HB 1 would make it illegal to possess more than 20 ounces of cannabis oil at a time. Peake says possession above that amount will be a felony with a minimum of a one year jail sentence.

The bill will not allow in-state growing or distribution of cannabis oil this year. Instead, it creates the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis which will make a recommendation for the best way to regulate medical marijuana in Georgia from seed to sale. The commission must make its recommendation to the governor and General Assembly by December 2015.

“It won’t be fully beneficial until we get that in-state growing, but at least it will be legal and we can have it in our possession and start using it,” Cloud said.

Families, like Cloud and his daughter Alaina who suffers from a seizure disorder, will have to get the oil themselves. Peake says the manufacturer of Charlotte’s Web is willing to ship the oil once the bill is passed. It is considered hemp since it’s so low in THC and is not illegal to ship across state lines.

Possible patients who need cannabis oil with .3% THC will need to get the oil themselves. Peake says they could face arrest for violating federal laws by traveling with the oil across state lines. He tells 41NBC that is just one of the many obstacles this bill is facing. He is expecting opposition in the Georgia Senate.

“What I hear is they’re going to strip all the conditions other than kids with seizure disorders. I think that would be a great disservice to the citizens of our state,” Peake said.

House lawmakers hope the senate will keep the bill as it is and help as many Georgians as possible.

“If there is some evidence that this cannabis oil can give some of our citizens relief from chronic conditions that they are suffering from I’m all for it,” Rep. Nikki Randall said.

With this vote, Peake says they are one step closer to bringing families who left Georgia seeking treatment back home.

“Passage of this bill is not an indication of a slippery slope, but instead a confirmation of our compassionate outreach.”

Governor Nathan Deal has said he supports the use of cannabis oil for the treatment of seizure disorders, but also that he would not have supported the original measure, which listed 17 medical conditions.

Peake says he thinks the bill will become law even though a cannabis oil bill failed last year.

HB 1 now heads to the Senate for consideration. Peake expects it to be assigned to a committee next week.