Politics & Government

Medical Marijuana Bill to be Filed Tuesday: You in Favor?

State representative supports children with epilepsy having legal access to a cannabis-based oil that could ease their discomfort and distress.

State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, is expected to file a bill at the Gold Dome in Atlanta on Tuesday that could legalize the use of medical marijuana in the state.

Medical marijuana was approved in Georgia in 1980, but the law has been dormant since.

Last year, a group of Georgia parents began lobbying to allow their children with epilepsy to apply to a small number of academic medical centers to have access to a cannabis-based oil that could ease their children’s discomfort and distress.

The oil would come Colorado, where recreational marijuana use is legal even though it is not according to federal law.

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Peake, who opposes the recreational use of marijuana, says on his website that his opinion on the use of medical marijuana has changed:

"Ok, I’ve stepped into it. After having a constituent contact me about her gut wrenching story of how medical marijuana was the only remedy for stopping her 4 year child’s seizures (up to 100 a day), I’ve had a change of heart related to legalizing marijuana ONLY for medicinal purposes. What would I do if that was my daughter,or my granddaughter??

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"So now I want to hear what you think. You can take a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/peakesurveymedicalmarijuana. ... Give me your thoughts."

In October, a Gallup poll suggested that more than half of Americans favor legalizing medical marijuana. Twenty states and the District of Columbia currently allow medical use of marijuana.

How do you feel about legalizing medical marijuana in Georgia?


See Also:

Poll: Most Americans Favor Legal Marijuana. Do You Agree?


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