Medical Marijuana Bill Passed By State House

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The Georgia House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed an amended version of a bill which will allow Georgians with certain ailments to possess medical cannabis oil without fear of arrest or prosecution.

Rep. Steve Allison (R-Blairsville) was the only dissenting vote against House Bill 1, also known as the “Haleigh’s Hope Act,” which was approved 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 removed fibromyalgia from the list of conditions cleared for cannabis oil and placed tougher restrictions on the percentage of THC allowed in the oils.

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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.

Now that both houses have passed the bill, it will land on the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal, who can either sign it into law or veto it. Deal has stated that he supports measures meant to increase patients’ access to medical marijuana while preventing its recreational use, and said during his most recent State of the State Address that he is looking forward to signing this legislation into law.