Expansion of Medical Cannabis Oil
House Bill 65 dealing with the expansion of Medical Cannabis Oil overwhelmingly passed the House last week. HB 65 expands our current medical cannabis law by adding eight more medical conditions to those whom would be allowed to apply for the THC oil registry. The additional conditions are as follows: Tourette’s syndrome; autism spectrum disorder; Epidermolysis Bullosa; Alzheimer’s disease; HIV; AIDS; peripheral neuropathy; and those who are in a hospice program. Other provisions of the bill are as follows:

• Patients may possess cannabis oil with a maximum of 5 percent THC and a maximum amount of 20 fluid ounces.
  
• Registration requirement with the Georgia Department of Public Health after physician recommendation.
  
• Exemption from prosecution in Georgia for possession of medical cannabis oil that has been legally obtained in another state and meets the state requirements.
  
• Reciprocity regarding medical cannabis registration cards of other states, as long as the medicine in such a person’s possession complies with Georgia’s laws.

Upon passing the 2015 law for allowance of medical cannabis oil, we soon heard from patients that shared concerns of prosecution for bringing the medicine into Georgia from other states. While this is an ongoing conversation, we do believe the expansion and prosecution exemption is a step in the right direction. This bill is now under review in the Senate. The House is also considering the Senate version of the bill which lowers the THC amount from 5% to 3% and only expands the bills qualified conditions to Autism Spectrum disorder.

Military Measures
As a result of the House Military Affairs Working Committee, we continue to pass legislation aimed at furthering our reputation as a “military friendly” state. Last week we passed two bills for the betterment of our military communities. The first was House Bill 245, which would require the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to streamline the workforce entry process for military spouses. Last year we passed the Military Spouses and Veterans Licensure Act, which requires our professional licensing boards to implement a process by which military spouses could receive expedited licenses. While this bill worked to address this concern, the act inadvertently omitted teacher’s licenses from eligibility. HB 245 corrects this exclusion and we would like to thank Rep. Al Williams for his sponsorship of the legislation.

The second bill regarding our military communities was House Bill 470, which would authorize the Department of Economic Development, upon appropriation of funds by the general assembly, to create a grant program to assist the identification of development opportunities in military and defence communities. Military communities would be required to submit a grant application to the Department of Economic Development, and the department would determine the grant amount on a case-by-case basis. HB 470 provides our military communities the financial means to invest in bettering our military installations, which currently represent the single largest economic development investment in our state. 

Speaker Ralston deserves a special thanks for not only creating our House Military Affairs Study Committee, but for also supporting our efforts as a permanent working group, dedicated to passing meaningful legislation to ensure Georgia remains a military friendly state. The Speaker has undoubtedly shown his commitment and support for our defense communities. Recognition also goes to Chairman Dave Belton, the entire Military Affairs working group, and other members of the House for supporting this measure.