A key House panel on Monday unanimously passed legislation legalizing the possession of medical marijuana.
Sponsored by Republican state Rep. Allen Peake of Macon, House Bill 1 says people may legally possess up to 20 ounces of it and that not more than 5 percent may consist of tetrahydrocannabinol – or THC – the mind-altering part of the drug.
The legislation applies to people who have been diagnosed with cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, mitochondrial disease, fibromyalgia and Parkinson’s disease. To get medical marijuana, they would have to be diagnosed by their doctors and get a registration card from the state Health Department.
The bill could come to the House floor for a vote as soon as this week, Peake said, now that it has won approval in the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
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