The Georgia House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to decriminalize the possession of marijuana derivative cannabidiol (CBD)–reports Dave Williams of the Atlanta Business Chronicle–which is becoming commonly used to treat severe forms of epilepsy, especially among children. "Under legislation House lawmakers passed 158-2 and sent on to the state Senate, Georgians who bring the marijuana derivative cannabidiol obtained outside of Georgia into the state for treatment of certain illnesses would not be subject to prosecution," Williams reports.
The legislation is a fairly significant step removed from originally proposed legislation (which expired with the previous legislative session)–House Bill 885–"that would have made it legal to produce and sell CBD oil for use by children with seizure disorders," reported Cannabis Business Times (CBT). CBD oil is the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis that’s been shown to reduce seizures.
"[Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon)] crafted a similar bill, HB 1, for the 2015 legislative calendar. It was to go before the Georgia House on Jan. 12, but Peake and Governor Deal announced Jan. 9 that HB 1 would be scrapped in favor of legislation providing legal 'immunity' for Georgia residents who bring CBD oils in from other states," CBT reported.
The proposed legislation allows for Georgians to bring CBD oil into the state, but "legalization advocates say the proposal is all but pointless, since it requires Georgia residents to illegally transport a controlled substance across state lines," reports CBT.
CBT also reported, "Five states that border Georgia have limited CBD oil programs in place or in progress, but their laws have not necessarily provided for sales to out-of-state patients."
