ATLANTA — State Representative Allen Peake (R-Macon) and the members of the Joint Study Committee on Prescription of Medical Cannabis for Serious Medical Conditions held their final meeting today at the State Capitol to discuss potential guidelines and recommendations for future legislation. Rep. Peake released the following comment about the committee’s last meeting:
“This committee worked diligently to study this issue and present a detailed list of possible guidelines and recommendations for future legislation that encompasses all that we have learned from these testimonies. Since the 2014 legislative session, several of my colleagues and I have made it our mission to bring this state’s medical refugees back home, while providing for the safe, legal, effective, and timely access to medical cannabis oil in Georgia; I was pleased that these key components remained at the core of our discussions today. Possible recommendations assert the need for a strictly-regulated system of cultivating, processing and dispensing of medical cannabis that would be non-smokable, a notion that I have been a proponent of since the beginning stages of this discussion. Other major aspects of today’s discussion of potential recommendations include: changes to existing Georgia statutes on controlled substances to provide for the use of certain specific strains of marijuana for treatment of medical conditions; support of clinical research regarding the use of certain strains of marijuana for treatment of medical conditions; and the establishment of a strictly regulated system of cultivating, processing, and dispensing certain strains of marijuana. I fully support these recommendations and believe that these fundamental points address the needs, desires and concerns of our Georgia citizens.
“Over the last few months my fellow committee members and I have traveled hundreds of miles across this state to hear from Georgians regarding this very important topic. We have received overwhelming support for this issue and heard great input and testimony over the course of our work – input that will continue to guide and shape legislation, like House Bill 1, as we go into the 2015 legislative session. I am confident that the knowledge we gained from this experience will result in the most effective piece of legislation through HB 1. However, HB 1 is more than just a piece of legislation to be debated during the upcoming legislative session; it is a realistic and tangible solution that offers hope to so many Georgia families – families who have testified before us and whom I have come to know and love. This experience has been incredibly eye opening and provided us with information from all stakeholders of this issue. I look forward to working with the committee members as we prepare to submit our final report, as well as sharing our findings with my colleagues in the Georgia House. While our study committee concluded its work today, the journey of House Bill 1 is only beginning.”
To view a video clip of Rep. Peake’s concluding statement from today’s meeting, please click here.
The Prescription of Medical Cannabis for Serious Medical Conditions Joint Study Committee was created by SR 981 following the 2014 legislative session. Committee members include: Sen. Renee Unterman (co-chair), Rep. Allen Peake (co-chair), Sen. Dean Burke (R – Bainbridge), Sen. Butch Miller (R – Gainesville), Sen. Curt Thompson (D – Tucker), Rep. Rich Golick (R – Smyrna), Rep. Micah Gravley (R – Douglasville), and Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D – Atlanta). Rep. Peake co-chairs this study committee, along with Senator Renee Unterman (R-Buford).
Representative Allen Peake represents the citizens of District 141, which includes portions of Bibb and Monroe counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006, and currently serves as the Secretary and Treasurer of the House Majority Caucus, the Vice Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee, and the Ex-Officio of the Appropriations Committee. He also serves on the Health & Human Services, Rules, and Small Business Development committees. For comments or questions, you may contact Representative Peake at rmsceo61@gmail.com, or 404-656-5025.
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