Deal: Start Preparing For Medical Cannabis Decriminalization

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By JUSTIN OVE (Patch Staff)

Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered state agencies to begin preparations for the imminent passage of a medicinal cannabis decriminalization bill in Georgia.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, Deal’s executive orderapplies to the Georgia Composite Medical Board and the Georgia Department of Public Health. The directive asks the medical board to start work on a patient waiver and physician certification form, which will then be available to eligible patients through the department of public health.

Deal said that he will sign HB 1, also known as the Haleigh’s Hope Act, into law when the current session of the Georgia General Assembly ends in order to keep it from conflicting with other legislation, WSB-TV said.

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Despite the brief delay in decriminalization, Deal wants the state to have a procedure in place by the time he signs, and has asked local agencies to begin similar preparations, according to WSB-TV.

Deal has stated that he supports measures meant to increase patients’ access to medical marijuana while preventing its recreational use, and expressed a desire to see decriminalization bill put on his desk so that he could sign it into law.

The Georgia House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed an amended version of HB 1 on Wednesday, with only one dissenting vote cast. HB 1 wasapproved in an amended form by the Georgia Senate on Tuesday.

Some conservative legislators in the upper house gave the bill a cool reception, but senators were able to come to a compromise, WSB-TV said. The amended version of HB1 removes fibromyalgia from the list of conditions cleared for cannabis oil and placed tougher restrictions on the percentage of THC allowed in the oils.

Children and adults who suffer from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, cancer, Chron’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell, mitochondrial disease, seizure disorders, and Parkinson’s Disease will all be eligible to possess medical cannabis oil when the bill becomes law.