Georgia’s House of Representatives to Vote on Legal Medical Marijuana

The expression “good things do not come easy” applies to the struggle over legalized medical marijuana in Georgia. A two-year effort to legalize medical marijuana in that state may finally succeed, as the Georgia Senate passed House Bill 1. The bill was introduced by Representative Allen Peake and it would legalize a limited form of marijuana.

A similar version of the bill was previously approved by the state House of Representatives which should sign off on the minor changes made by the state Senate. The bill now heads back to the House which will most likely vote on it today.

What changes were made?

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman, Renee Unterman reached a compromise last week after making a few changes to House Bill 1. The new bill merged the restrictive medical marijuana measures approved by the Senate with a much broader effort approved by the House. The changes to the bill include:

1. Patients can use cannabis oil to treat eight of the nine disorders approved by the House. The Senate removed fibromyalgia from the list of disorders. The approved conditions are cancer, Crohn’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, mitochondrial disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, seizure disorders, and sickle cell disease.

2. The new bill expands upon a Senate proposal that prevented children’s access to cannabis oil. The new bill makes both children and adults eligible for access to cannabis oil.

3. Cannabis oil cannot contain more than 5% THC and it must include at least a matching amount of CBD.

What strain would patients have access to?

The legislation allows patients to access a strain known as Charlotte’s Web. This marijuana strain has been known to provide relief and comfort for patients who suffer from conditions such as severe anxiety, mood disorders, chronic stress, insomnia, as well as pain and muscle spasms that are associated with multiple sclerosis.

Outlook

If the House approves the changes made to the bill, Georgia would be the 12^th state to have such a program. The bill would still need to be approved by Republican Governor Nathan Deal before it becomes official and a spokesman for him declined to comment on whether he would sign the legislation. Last year, a similar Georgia bill failed on the final day of the legislative session.

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Michael Berger is Managing Partner of StoneBridge Partners, LLC and Founder of Technical420.com. Prior to entering the cannabis industry, Michael was an Equity Research Analyst at Raymond James Financial covering the Energy Sector. Michael has been featured in publications such as The Street, Bloomberg, US Money News, and hosts various cannabis events across North America.

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