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Aug. 28 - Sept. 3, 2014
Volume 87 • Issue 3
Will Georgia Become Next State to Approve Medical Marijuana?
By Terry Shropshire Paige Figi had almost given up on trying to save her daughter’s life. Despite feeding her daughter a cocktail of different prescription drugs daily, Figi’s daughter still suffered an astounding 1200 seizures a month, which took a considerable toll on her developing body. It all ended, Paige said, when she discovered medical cannabis, better known as medical marijuana, which reduced her then 5-year-old daughter’s body-wracking seizures by over 90 percent almost immediately. Figi believes it saved her daughter’s life. Now a much healthier seven year old, Figi reports that her daughter’s seizures have plummeted to one to two per month. “She can walk and talk,” Figi said. “She’s not on oxygen. She’s off of feeding tubes. ... Now, we’re seeing this in hundreds of patients.” Figi, a native of Colorado, has made her second trip to the Georgia state capital this year to persuade lawmakers in this conservative Bible Belt region to pass medical marijuana as a way to help other children who are afflicted with the debilitating medical maladies such as chronic seizures. “You have patients from Georgia who are medical refugees in Colorado,” said Figi, now a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Realm of Caring Foundation, when she spoke to a legislative study committee at the Georgia Capitol holding its first meeting on the issue. Georgia is giving the debate about marijuana legalization another try after a failed first attempt. Despite the backing of Gov. Nathan Deal and overwhelming support for medical marijuana in the Georgia House of Representatives, the bill crashed head on into politics and it died in the Senate during the last day of the vote. H.B. 885, sponsored by state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, passed the House with overwhelming support. Multiple families have migrated to Colorado, finding it a safe haven to freely administer the cannabis oil that Figi
testified about which reportedly help drastically change their children’s health and emotional state. Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, listens to testimony from medical marijuana advocates. He is heading the committee to study the pros and cons of the decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Rep. Allen Peake, R-MaconPeake introduced a bill to legalize medical cannabis to Georgia legislators and was confident that Georgia’s General Assembly would pass the measure that could save the lives of kids who suffer life-threatening seizures. “I’m compelled to use every political influence I have to provide relief for these families,” Peake said during last year’s legislative session. The medical marijuana debate attracted an overflowing audience at the Georgia state house, along with a crush of local and regional media. Peake believes next year will be different. Georgia’s minds are changing rapidly on the issue of medical marijuana. Matt D. Cook, the architect of Colorado’s marijuana laws, can corroborate Peake’s sentiments. Cook displayed charts for the committee and public that indicates substantial support with : - 48 percent of Americans said they have tried marijuana; - 52 percent of Americans believe marijuana should be decriminalized; - 60 percent of Americans believe the government should not enforce federal laws in states that legalize marijuana - 72 percent of Americans believe that “We believe that polling has showed that they clearly want medical cannabis as an option in Georgia, so we need to figure out what’s the best structure, the best infrastructure that will work in our state,” Cook said. Two experts on medical marijuana from Colorado urged Georgia lawmakers Wednesday, Aug. 27, to give parents the right to buy cannabis oil to treat their children suffering from seizure disorders.
At least a dozen Georgia families have moved to Colorado to take advantage of that state’s 2010 law legalizing the use of cannabis oil to reduce seizures in children with epilepsy. A similar measure failed during this year’s Georgia General Assembly session. The Georgia House passed legislation backed by Gov. Nathan Deal to legalize the manufacture of cannabis oil with an extremely low percentage of THC, the chemical that makes users high. But the bill got bogged down in a dispute with the Senate, which pushed to add a provision requiring Georgia insurance companies to cover treatment of children with autism. When the two sides dug in their heels, the measure fizzled on the last day of the legislative session. The Joint Study Committee on Prescription of Medical Cannabis for Serious Medical Conditions will hold its first meeting Wednesday at 1:00 at the state Capitol. Matt D. Cook, architect of Colorado’s medical marijuana laws, owner of national regulatory consulting business Cook Consulting LLC, and author of numerous publications pertaining to Colorado liquor law and cannabis regulation. The Joint Study Committee on Prescription of Medical Cannabis for Serious Medical Conditions is co-chaired by State Representative Allen Peake (R - Macon) and State Senator Renee Unterman (R - Buford). Senator Butch Miller, a Republican from Gainesville, is a member of the committee. The committee is charged with studying the effects of the extracts and compounds of cannabis as a medical treatment to determine if it is appropriate to enact legislation that will allow for the prescription of medical cannabis. The committee was created by Senate Resolution 981 following the 2014 legislative session. Allen is confident that Georgia’s General Assembly will eventually pass the measure that could save the lives of kids who suffer life-threatening seizures.