Georgia: Lawmaker Unveils Medical Marijuana Growth, Production Bill

[Robert Celt]

The Georgia lawmaker who championed legislation allowing people with certain diseases to possess medical marijuana pre-filed a bill on Wednesday allowing state-licensed manufacturers to operate in the state, calling in-state production the "next logical step."

The proposal from Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican from Macon, would allow between two and six medical-cannabis manufacturers to be licensed by the state and serve people with certain medical conditions who are listed on a state registry. Peake said the proposal, modeled on Minnesota law, includes the creation of a state system to track all marijuana plants and products, and sets security requirements for the facilities.

The proposal faces an uphill climb in Georgia. A commission studying the issue through the fall and winter voted down a recommendation backing creation of an in-state production system, despite Peake's urging. Law enforcement organizations long have opposed any legal growth of marijuana in the state.

Republican Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal also has come out against such a system in recent weeks, prompting Peake to leave the governor's legislative leadership team. The issue became a passion-project for the certified accountant through two legislative sessions after meeting a young girl named Haleigh Cox who suffers from severe seizures.

The legislation passed in 2015, dubbed "Haleigh's Hope Act," permits people with certain medical conditions and their doctors to possess medical cannabis. The law accomplished Peake's initial goal of bringing back Georgia residents who had gone to live in Colorado in order to be able to use cannabis oil. But Georgians who are now allowed to use it still can't legally buy it here, and either must travel at high cost or depend on a few companies willing to ship, Peake said.

"Having access in Georgia is the critical point," Peake said. "Having access to a safe, lab-tested product that's consistent is crucial."

Peake also cites support from top House lawmakers, including Alan Powell, who chairs the House Public Safety committee. Powell, a Republican from Hartwell, said the proposal sets strict standards for keeping plants and products secure and isn't a path toward the recreational use associated with Colorado's system. Lawmakers need to follow up on the law passed in 2015, he said.

"We're not talking about every farmer who's got a poultry house that's going to start growing it as a secondary cash crop," Powell said. "We're talking about a very rigid process where there will only be a handful of licensed operations."

Peake's proposal also increases the number of conditions allowed to obtain medical cannabis in Georgia to include autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease and intractable pain.
Peake plans to officially file the bill when lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday for the start of the session.

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Full Article: Georgia: Lawmaker Unveils Medical Marijuana Growth, Production Bill
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[420 Warrior]

The proposal faces an uphill climb in Georgia. A commission studying the issue through the fall and winter voted down a recommendation backing creation of an in-state production system, despite Peake's urging. Law enforcement organizations long have opposed any legal growth of marijuana in the state.

I'll say this again and again if I have to, law enforcement has no business getting involved with this. That's a real problem because if the ones who enforce the laws also get to make the laws, what's to stop them from champion new laws that allow them to just shoot people on site who they deem not to look a certain way or talk a certain way. Who's to stop them from legalized wholesale mass murder? Law enforcement has no business in law making, that's NOT THEIR JOB!!!

Republican Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal also has come out against such a system in recent weeks, prompting Peake to leave the governor's legislative leadership team. The issue became a passion-project for the certified accountant through two legislative sessions after meeting a young girl named Haleigh Cox who suffers from severe seizures.

So, Nathan Deal prompted Peake to "leave the governor's legislative leadership team" because Peake met a little girl who "suffers from severe seizures" and needs Cannabis to combat her life threatening illness? What does that tell us about Nathan Deal's character? What does this say about his compassion and sense of morality? This guy is a heartless scumbag who would rather let children suffer and die than get behind proven medicine that could potentially save their lives! I say "NO DEAL"!!! we need to impeach this SOB on the grounds of immoral misconduct and denying the people of our civil liberties.

I think I'm going to write Allen Peake a letter and start a dialog with him to see if there's anything the people can do to remove Deal from office on the grounds of moral misconduct. His blatant disregard for what the voters want as well as him allowing law enforcement to engage in political law making decisions certainly has to be in some sort of violation of his oath to serve the people who entrusted him to represent us?

The legislation passed in 2015, dubbed "Haleigh's Hope Act," permits people with certain medical conditions and their doctors to possess medical cannabis. The law accomplished Peake's initial goal of bringing back Georgia residents who had gone to live in Colorado in order to be able to use cannabis oil. But Georgians who are now allowed to use it still can't legally buy it here, and either must travel at high cost or depend on a few companies willing to ship, Peake said.

Hmm? Sounds familiar? Oh yea, the "Marijuana Tax Act" where you could buy a stamp to poses Cannabis but you had to have the Cannabis to present them first before you could get a stamp but if you showed up with the Cannabis to get the stamp, you were arrested on site for possession, thereby entrapping yourself before you would ever get a stamp to begin with.

Georgia law is slightly different but along the same lines as that. You can poses Cannabis if your eligible to do so but you have to break the law to obtain it in the first place? That makes no logical sense what so ever!

"Having access in Georgia is the critical point," Peake said. "Having access to a safe, lab-tested product that's consistent is crucial."

Solution to this problem...Allow for a government sponsored agency to go to other states and legally procure and transport this medicine back to Georgia, so these people would have legal access to this medicine, or at least on a temporary basis until they can settle on something allowing Cannabis to be grown in state. Now wouldn't that make sense?

Guys, I'm not proud to admit this and in fact it's down right embarrassing, but I'm a high school drop out who never made it past the 9th grade, but even as uneducated as I am, even I'm able to come up with a logical solution to this problem, so what does that say about our supposedly "highly educated" law makers who we entrust with running our state government?

Peake also cites support from top House lawmakers, including Alan Powell, who chairs the House Public Safety committee. Powell, a Republican from Hartwell, said the proposal sets strict standards for keeping plants and products secure and isn't a path toward the recreational use associated with Colorado's system. Lawmakers need to follow up on the law passed in 2015, he said.

"We're not talking about every farmer who's got a poultry house that's going to start growing it as a secondary cash crop," Powell said. "We're talking about a very rigid process where there will only be a handful of licensed operations."

Damn, I didn't know Georgia was so wealthy that we don't need all the extra revenue we can get? So why do they keep taking so much taxes out of my pay checks if this state doesn't need the money? I feel swindled!

Peake's proposal also increases the number of conditions allowed to obtain medical cannabis in Georgia to include autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease and intractable pain.
Peake plans to officially file the bill when lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday for the start of the session.

This is all well and good for those who are "on the list" to have this medicine, but those people who "don't make the cut" will just continue to suffer needlessly because our law makers decided to "play doctor". The decision to prescribe or "recommend" any medication should be at the discretion medical professionals and not law makers coming up with a short "list" of allowable ailments.

That's the problem here in this state, and others as well...Law makers only job should be making laws. Law enforcement's only job should be enforcing existing laws and doctors only job should be treating patients, but these people want to co-mingle these jobs and over step the bounds of their professional duties and that's done at the expense of the will of the people who pay them to only do what we pay them to do. They need to stick within the parameters of their titles and quit trying to branch out into other fields that they are not qualified for.