Georgia House forms Medical Marijuana Study Group

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on January 18, 2017.

With a view to expand the medical marijuana system in Georgia, a new medical marijuana study group will start work  this legislation session to connect qualified Georgians with marijuana based medicine in order to  get relieve from various health problems.

Georgia House Speaker David Ralson, R-Blue Ridge, has recently announced formation of the study group that will be headed by Macon Republican state Rep. Allen Peake, author of the state’s medical cannabis possession law. The new group will hold hearings, and its members will be able to file bills regarding medical marijuana.

“I think the naming of this committee just reinforces that this is a real priority for the House, a real priority for Speaker Ralston. And I think that’s a good thing for a lot of Georgia citizens who could potentially benefit,” Peake stated.

Last week, a new legislation known as “House Resolution 36” was filed in the state House. If passed, the new law authored and filed by Peake, would be placed on the ballot in 2018. The legislation would allow Georgia voters to decide on a measure that would allow growing medical marijuana, establishing dispensaries, and distributing medical marijuana within state lines.

The new measure would also expand the restricted list of illnesses to include AIDS, Alzheimer’s, autism, intractable pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Tourette’s syndrome.

Under the existing Georgia marijuana law, the qualified patients are allowed to possess up to 20 ounces of medicinal marijuana to treat eight specific illnesses, which include cancer, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and Mitochondrial disease.

Meanwhile, Republican Governor Nathan Deal has declined to comment on whether or not he supports the initiative.  He has been an opponent of in-state growing of marijuana.

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