| CBD-rich oil from Colorado’s Kind Love dispensary. |
A bill legalizing just CBD and only for seizure disorders was unanimously sent to the Georgia state House this week, advancing what would arguably be the country’s most restrictive medical cannabis laws to date.
The bill, sponsored by Georgia Republican state Rep. Allen Peake, is aimed at helping the families of children suffering from rare disorders. Peake says he wrote the bill after meeting several sick Georgia children.
The move was seen as a major step forward for advocates like Janea Cox, a mother who has helped rally support. Her child, four-year-old Haleigh, has become the poster child for the movement.
“This just means a lot,” Janea Cox said after the meeting, according to local WMAZ. “We feel like we’ve gotten through so much just through this committee and it just gives us all this extra push of hope that all of our families are looking for right now.”
Allen’s House Bill 885 would not legalize the medical use of cannabis outright. Patients would receive oil through doctors at academic medical centers, though nobody is quite sure where the oil will come from at this point. Early drafts called for the cannabis to be imported from Colorado – though that would require both states to address federal interstate trafficking laws.
The bill has a huge backing so far. The Medical Association of Georgia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and even the Georgia Sheriff’s Association backs the measure.
The bill now has to pass out of the House by Monday for any future consideration. Otherwise, it get’s put back on the shelf along with the hopes of medical cannabis patients.
Peachy.