House approves stripped down medical cannabis bill

ATLANTA - It was not a homerun, but a sacrifice bunt.

That was how Rep. Allen Peake, R - Macon, described the version of his medical cannabis bill that the House of Representatives approved Monday.

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Peake sponsored legislation last year that created a state medical cannabis registry, but this year he authored House Bill 722 to help those registered patients get access to cannabis oil by legalizing an in-state growth model.

"Clearly, I didn't make a strong enough case for the need for a regulated infrastructure for cultivation of medical cannabis," Peake said on the House floor. 

The original draft of HB 722 included a state plan for cannabis producers that would have tracked the marijuana from seed to plant to cannabis oil.  Many lawmakers, however, expressed concerns about the idea.

"My head and my gut say we're going down the wrong road," said Rep. Randy Nix, R - LaGrange. 

In order for the bill to pass the House in some form by the end of Crossover Day, a compromise had to be made.

"We haven't really finished the job," said Peake.

Vince Sievert said he and other parents must continue to make the difficult decision whether to break federal law and smuggle cannabis products into Georgia for their children. 

"I think it's a step forward, not nearly enough," explained Sievert.  "Basically what we end up with is a bill that creates more law breakers in Georgia, because the citizens that will be eligible still have to break laws."

The bill now must go to the Senate for its approval.