Pubdate: Thu, 27 Feb 2014
Source: Savannah Morning News (GA)
Copyright: 2014 Savannah Morning News
Contact:  http://www.savannahnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: A HUMANE OPTION

GEORGIA LAWMAKERS haven't done much of anything this legislative 
session, which is not a bad thing.

Here's one humane measure, however, that deserves passage - a law 
that would allow limited use of medical marijuana to treat young 
Georgians suffering from horrific bouts of seizures.

First off, this isn't about legalizing pot.

The bill that's pending in the Georgia House won't make weed more 
available so stoners can fire up a joint and achieve a Rocky 
Mountain-type high, which is the case in Colorado.

Instead, House Bill 885 is about bringing relief - and boosting hopes 
for a better life - to children with epilepsy and other chronic conditions.

Some young victims of these maladies suffer from frequent seizures 
that can't be controlled through regular medications. But for reasons 
that aren't completely known, a substance called cannabis oil seems 
to provide relief.

Cannabis oil is extracted from cannabis plants, which are illegal. 
The oil contains little to no THC - the chemical that causes the high 
in marijuana. But it is high in cannabidiol, a compound that may 
fight seizures in some forms of epilepsy.

Typically, the oil is used in drops under the tongue. Patients can't 
get "high" off it.

Naturally, parents whose children suffer up to 100 seizures a day are 
desperate to do anything so their kids can have a decent shot at a 
normal life. That has included moving to Colorado, where cannabis oil 
has been legal.

More recently, as word of successful treatment stories has spread, 19 
other states and the District of Columbia have approved medical 
marijuana so families don't have to travel halfway across the country.

Georgia should follow suit.

State Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican restaurant owner from Macon, is 
sponsoring HB 885. If approved by the House and Senate and signed 
into law by Gov. Nathan Deal, it would allow research hospitals that 
operate doctor residency programs and do clinical research to 
distribute cannabis oil to patients for treatment and for research purposes.

Presumably, that could include Memorial and St. Joseph's-Candler 
hospitals in Savannah.

When the Georgia lawmakers returned to Atlanta in January, this bill 
appeared to have two chances of passage - slim and none. Then 
something wonderful happened: The more that legislators become 
educated, the more optimistic it looked.

On Wednesday, the House Health and Human Services Committee passed 
the bill by a voice vote. Among the co-sponsors is State Rep. Ben 
Watson, a Savannah Republican and the committee's vice chairman. More 
importantly, he's a physician who's respected by the state's medical community.

If Dr. Watson is behind this measure, and he's comfortable with what 
it means for patients and the strict limitations that would be 
imposed, so should clear-thinking Georgians.

Time is running out. Let's hope House Speaker David Ralston will 
clear the path for a House vote. Let's hope the Senate quickly acts 
so the measure gets to the governor's desk.

This issue has nothing to do with recreational drug use and 
everything to do with reducing pain and suffering. Passing this 
measure would be an exception to an unexceptional session.
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