Ga. lawmakers press forward on medical cannabis | savannahnow.com

[State Rep. Allen] Peake said recently he expects to have a draft bill soon and it will allow for a limited number of businesses to obtain a state license to grow and process marijuana for the sole purpose of providing the cannabis oil under a system in which people of all ages with certain medical conditions would be able to obtain it under the supervision of a doctor. The amount of the psychoactive compound known as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, would be limited and facilities would be subject to regulations, lab testing and security measures.

“I feel very confident that my colleagues want to move forward with a public policy that provides a very tightly restricted, very regulated delivery system for cannabis oil in Georgia,” Peake said, adding he’s aware of 15 families who have left Georgia for Colorado and other states for access to the cannabis oil and three children have died while lawmakers have been debating the issue. “We can’t move fast enough.”

Law enforcement’s top concerns include security at the facilities and specific civil and criminal penalties for violators. The Georgia Sheriffs’ Association also indicated they would oppose a bill if law enforcement agencies weren’t granted warrantless access to the facilities for monitoring. Association President, Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin, said members worry the bill could send mixed messages to the public.

“We want to be there to help,” Griffin said at an Oct. 1 hearing. “That is our job to help people, but we are also very, very concerned about the perception that this bill would lead to people thinking you could smoke marijuana for medical purposes.”

Peake said he feels confident the bill will address those concerns. Much more difficult might be confronting concerns of some in the medical community who first want to see the results of various clinical trials underway nationally and soon in Georgia. Dr. Cynthia Wetmore, director for clinical and translational research at Children’s Health Care of Atlanta, advised lawmakers to be cautious.

“To give something as powerful as cannabidiol oil really needs to be done initially within the confines of a clinical trial so there are medical professionals able to help these children monitor liver function, monitor their psychiatric outlook so we are able to do it safely,” Wetmore said at a Nov. 12 hearing. “I would only do it within the realm of a clinical study until it’s proven safe.”

via Ga. lawmakers press forward on medical cannabis | savannahnow.com.