ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives yesterday passed House Bill 1, or the Haleigh’s Hope Act, by a vote of 158-2. HB 1, sponsored by State Representative Allen Peake (R-Macon) and co-sponsored by Rep. Micah Gravley (R-Douglasville), would decriminalize the possession of medical cannabis in Georgia.
“This has certainly been a rewarding and tough journey, but one that has resulted in the passage of a bill that will protect families and citizens from prosecution for simply being in possession of a medicine,” said Rep. Gravley. “I am honored to have worked alongside Rep. Allen Peake on this bill. Our work is not done, we must now move the bill though the Senate and I hope it remains in its current form and no further diagnoses are removed. Each diagnosis represents a Georgia citizen and we need to keep them all.”
HB 1 would provide immunity for the possession of cannabis oil for individuals with certain medical conditions who have obtained cannabis oil legally in another state. Qualifying conditions under HB 1 include Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Seizure disorders, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, mitochondrial disease, sickle cell disease, and Fibromyalgia. These individuals would only be allowed to possess cannabis oil with a maximum of 5 percent THC and a maximum amount of 20 fluid ounces of cannabis oil. HB 1 would also require that potential patients register with the Georgia Department of Public Health and be placed on the “Low-THC Oil Patient Registry.” These individuals will receive a registration card that exempts them from prosecution in Georgia for possession of medical cannabis oil that has been legally obtained in another state and meets the aforementioned requirements.
The bill also creates the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis which will be charged with making a recommendation for the potential regulatory infrastructure for creation of in-state growth/distribution model of medical cannabis. The commission must make its recommendation to the Governor and General Assembly by December 2015. The members of the commission will include the director of the Governor’s Office for Children and Families, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the director of the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, the commissioner of agriculture, the Governor’s executive counsel, members of the General Assembly, medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and pharmacists.
House Bill 1 will now go to the Senate for consideration.
For more information on HB1, please click here.
Representative Micah Gravley represents the citizens of District 67, which includes portions of Douglas and Paulding counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Code Revision, Economic Development & Tourism, Public Safety & Homeland Security, and Judiciary Non-Civil committees.
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