Robert Celt
New Member
State Rep. Micah Gravley recently made a holiday trip to Minnesota. He didn't go for Christmas shopping at the Mall of America or for fishing in one of the fabled 10,000 lakes. Instead, the Douglasville Republican wanted a first-hand look at that state's medical marijuana program, one he hopes that Georgia will adopt in the upcoming 2016 General Assembly.
Gravley, who represents a portion of Villa Rica, said Minnesota's medical marijuana law, which took effect in July, is similar to Georgia's Haleigh's Hope Act passed by last year's legislature, in the medical conditions it treats. But the big difference is that the Minnesota law provides for in-state cultivation of marijuana and production of the cannabis oil used in the treatments.
"The Minnesota model is what I think will work perfectly for Georgia," Gravley said. "Of all the states we looked at, every state has applauded what Minnesota has done."
Gravley and State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, author of Haleigh's Hope Act, toured Leafline Labs in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, where all the state's legal medical marijuana products are made.
Gravley was a co-sponsor of Peake's bill last year and plans to join the Macon lawmaker in a major legislative push to add cultivation and cannabis oil production to the Georgia medical marijuana program. They face an uphill battle since Gov. Nathan Deal is standing behind the Dec. 9 vote by the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis against allowing in-state growth. Gravley noted that in the 9-5 rejection vote, the five votes in favor included the four medical professionals on the commission and Peake, who chaired the meeting.
Gravley believes he has the backing of Georgia residents for cultivation and production.
"A poll released two weeks ago shows that 84 percent of Georgians believe the law should be expanded to allow cultivation," he said. "It's going to be a hot topic, and I believe the bill will be introduced early and move quickly through the committee process. I hope we can help the people in Georgia, who need the medicine for a better quality of life."
Gravley said the problem with the Georgia law, as it's currently written, is that families needing the cannabis oil must travel to other states, at great expense, to purchase the product.
"These families have spent thousands of dollars on the medication," he said. "First, they have to incur travel expenses to Colorado to purchase the oil. While they're there, they have to pick up several months' supply of the medication to make the trip worthwhile. That's thousands of dollars more. We're bankrupting families who need the medication."
Gravley cited one Paulding County family that needs the cannabis oil to treat their 11-year-old son.
"They had to move out to Colorado for a while," he said. "They lost their home trying to get medicine for their son. That makes no sense to me. The father is a law enforcement officer, and he had to do second jobs so his wife and two boys could be in Colorado to get treatment."
Gravley said the families have to travel to Colorado for the cannabis oil, instead of Minnesota, because the Minnesota law is very strict and only allows sales to Minnesota residents.
Ironically, it's those tight controls in Minnesota that Gravley admires and wants Georgia to emulate. He feels the Colorado law, with its open mixture of medical and recreational marijuana, creates many problems and is an atmosphere he wants Georgia to shun.
He said Minnesota follows the trend of most states in making marijuana possession a misdemeanor. But if you're caught with medical marijuana and you don't have a medical card for it, you face a felony charge.
Gravley praised Minnesota's medical approach and said the Leafline lab they toured is a "very professional scientific facility" run by top medical personnel.
"Minnesota doesn't allow smoking of marijuana or recreational use," he said. "They allow use of the oil and vaping of the product, similar to aerosol asthma inhalers. The product is made in an approved facility. You have to be on the state registry to enter the facility. Everyone who is determined eligible has to meet with a board certified pharmacist, who has access to general practitioner and neurologist records. If the pharmacist determines the patient is not in need of the oil, he can deny it. It's a very robust system, from a medical standpoint."
Gravley said the lab is under strict security and is built with ballistic glass.
"They do all indoor cultivation of marijuana," he said. "They don't do any outdoor growing. By being inside the facility, it can be secured with surveillance and access limited, something you can't do in an open field. They use hydroponic growth (growing in water), and the people working there are hydroponic experts."
Gravley said the medical conditions which Minnesota recognizes are similar to Georgia and include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Tourette syndrome, Crohn's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), seizures (such as caused by epilepsy or multiple sclerosis) and terminal illness with life expectancy of one year or less, where the condition causes nausea, chronic pain or severe wasting.
Gravley is happy that the recently passed federal spending bill contained a clause that says state-approved medical marijuana programs no longer have to fear federal prosecution. He foresees the day when states will be able to work together to make sure all people needing medical marijuana can easily obtain it.
"It's similar to civil rights legislation back in the 1960s," he said. "When all the states started working together, something got done."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Georgia: Lawmaker Pushing Cannabis Oil Bill
Author: Winston Jones
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Times Georgian
Gravley, who represents a portion of Villa Rica, said Minnesota's medical marijuana law, which took effect in July, is similar to Georgia's Haleigh's Hope Act passed by last year's legislature, in the medical conditions it treats. But the big difference is that the Minnesota law provides for in-state cultivation of marijuana and production of the cannabis oil used in the treatments.
"The Minnesota model is what I think will work perfectly for Georgia," Gravley said. "Of all the states we looked at, every state has applauded what Minnesota has done."
Gravley and State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, author of Haleigh's Hope Act, toured Leafline Labs in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, where all the state's legal medical marijuana products are made.
Gravley was a co-sponsor of Peake's bill last year and plans to join the Macon lawmaker in a major legislative push to add cultivation and cannabis oil production to the Georgia medical marijuana program. They face an uphill battle since Gov. Nathan Deal is standing behind the Dec. 9 vote by the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis against allowing in-state growth. Gravley noted that in the 9-5 rejection vote, the five votes in favor included the four medical professionals on the commission and Peake, who chaired the meeting.
Gravley believes he has the backing of Georgia residents for cultivation and production.
"A poll released two weeks ago shows that 84 percent of Georgians believe the law should be expanded to allow cultivation," he said. "It's going to be a hot topic, and I believe the bill will be introduced early and move quickly through the committee process. I hope we can help the people in Georgia, who need the medicine for a better quality of life."
Gravley said the problem with the Georgia law, as it's currently written, is that families needing the cannabis oil must travel to other states, at great expense, to purchase the product.
"These families have spent thousands of dollars on the medication," he said. "First, they have to incur travel expenses to Colorado to purchase the oil. While they're there, they have to pick up several months' supply of the medication to make the trip worthwhile. That's thousands of dollars more. We're bankrupting families who need the medication."
Gravley cited one Paulding County family that needs the cannabis oil to treat their 11-year-old son.
"They had to move out to Colorado for a while," he said. "They lost their home trying to get medicine for their son. That makes no sense to me. The father is a law enforcement officer, and he had to do second jobs so his wife and two boys could be in Colorado to get treatment."
Gravley said the families have to travel to Colorado for the cannabis oil, instead of Minnesota, because the Minnesota law is very strict and only allows sales to Minnesota residents.
Ironically, it's those tight controls in Minnesota that Gravley admires and wants Georgia to emulate. He feels the Colorado law, with its open mixture of medical and recreational marijuana, creates many problems and is an atmosphere he wants Georgia to shun.
He said Minnesota follows the trend of most states in making marijuana possession a misdemeanor. But if you're caught with medical marijuana and you don't have a medical card for it, you face a felony charge.
Gravley praised Minnesota's medical approach and said the Leafline lab they toured is a "very professional scientific facility" run by top medical personnel.
"Minnesota doesn't allow smoking of marijuana or recreational use," he said. "They allow use of the oil and vaping of the product, similar to aerosol asthma inhalers. The product is made in an approved facility. You have to be on the state registry to enter the facility. Everyone who is determined eligible has to meet with a board certified pharmacist, who has access to general practitioner and neurologist records. If the pharmacist determines the patient is not in need of the oil, he can deny it. It's a very robust system, from a medical standpoint."
Gravley said the lab is under strict security and is built with ballistic glass.
"They do all indoor cultivation of marijuana," he said. "They don't do any outdoor growing. By being inside the facility, it can be secured with surveillance and access limited, something you can't do in an open field. They use hydroponic growth (growing in water), and the people working there are hydroponic experts."
Gravley said the medical conditions which Minnesota recognizes are similar to Georgia and include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Tourette syndrome, Crohn's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), seizures (such as caused by epilepsy or multiple sclerosis) and terminal illness with life expectancy of one year or less, where the condition causes nausea, chronic pain or severe wasting.
Gravley is happy that the recently passed federal spending bill contained a clause that says state-approved medical marijuana programs no longer have to fear federal prosecution. He foresees the day when states will be able to work together to make sure all people needing medical marijuana can easily obtain it.
"It's similar to civil rights legislation back in the 1960s," he said. "When all the states started working together, something got done."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Georgia: Lawmaker Pushing Cannabis Oil Bill
Author: Winston Jones
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Times Georgian
