The Georgia Senate has overwhelmingly passed a sweeping medical marijuana bill that now goes back to the House for tweaking.

Republican Rep. Allen Peake of Macon wrote the House bill that led to a substitute from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Peake said Monday that he's confident the House will approve the latest measure.

He says getting the bill passed has been a journey. "I think it just became more of an education process to make sure we weren't going to be opening up pot shops all over the state; we weren't going to be having six year olds smoking weed," he said. "And I think once my colleagues got it, I think that's what gave it the momentum to eventually pass."

The substitute, which passed 48-6, could be voted on in the House as soon as Wednesday. Peake believes it could be signed by Gov. Nathan Deal by week's end.

The Senate committee deleted Fibromyalgia from Peake's original bill, but left in eight medical conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana.

Those conditions are seizures, cancer, sickle cell anemia, Crohn's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, mitochondrial disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

According to a news release, HB 1 would provide immunity for the possession of cannabis oil for individuals with those medical conditions who have obtained cannabis oil legally in another state. Those people would only be allowed to possess cannabis oil with a maximum of 5 percent THC and a maximum amount of 20 fluid ounces of cannabis oil.

In addition to that, the bill requires that potential patients register with the Georgia Department of Public Health and be placed on the “Low-THC Oil Patient Registry.” After a recommendation from their physician, the registrants would receive a registration card that exempts them from prosecution in Georgia for possession of medical cannabis oil that has been legally obtained in another state and meets the possession requirements.

The legislation also creates the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis which will be charged with making a recommendation for the potential regulatory infrastructure for creation of in-state growth/distribution model of medical cannabis. The commission needs to make its recommendation to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2015.

Contributors: Ellen Reinhardt, Anna Barnes

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