Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2014
Source: Rome News-Tribune (GA)
Copyright: 2014 Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.romenews-tribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1716

HOUSE OKS MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

Local Legislators See Their Sponsored Bills Make It Over the 
Crossover Day Hump As Well.

(AP) - Patients diagnosed with certain illnesses could take a form of 
medical marijuana under a plan that Georgia's state legislators 
backed Monday, ahead of an important deadline that sorts out which 
bills go forward and which will likely fail for the year.

Legislative rules force lawmakers to get their bills approved by at 
least one chamber of the General Assembly by what's commonly called 
"Crossover Day." The rule can be bent, but it's difficult.

Three bills that have Floyd County delegates as their main sponsors 
made it through one of the two chambers on Monday.

House Bill 720, which would provide funding for local law enforcement 
agencies to use electronic citation systems, is sponsored by Rep. 
Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee. It passed the House, 117-49.

A "clean-up" bill for the part of the state's code on auctions 
sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey, RRome, will be sent to the Senate. 
HB 1042 passed 158-8.

Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, saw his Senate Bill 268 make it 
through the Senate with a final vote of 33-16. The legislation would 
let physician assistants overseen by doctors prescribe Schedule II 
controlled substances, such as Oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Among the biggest debates was a plan to let people suffering from the 
side effects of cancer treatment, glaucoma and some seizure disorders 
take products derived from cannabis oil in the hope it will ease 
their symptoms.

House lawmakers voted 171-4 to approve the bill. It now heads to the 
state Senate.

The cannabis documented in the medical marijuana legislation could be 
given to patients orally as a liquid, a pill or through injections.

State Rep. Allen Peake, R- Macon, the sponsor of HB 885, said the 
cannabis could bring relief for children who suffer from hundreds of 
seizures daily. He said cannabis oil is low in THC, the active 
ingredient that produces the marijuana high.

"It is not a slippery slope toward legalization of cannabis for 
recreational use," Peake said. "I stand firmly against that direction 
and will fight it with all my energy."

Several politicians acknowledged they were initially reluctant to 
change statewide drug policy during an election year, but Pike urged 
them not to delay by setting up study committees or holding the bill 
until next year.

"We cannot move fast enough," he said.

Janea Cox hugged her daughter, Haleigh, during the vote. Her daughter 
has as many as 100 seizures daily, and she had lobbied for the legislation.

"We are all so overwhelmed right now," Cox said, crying. "We had so 
much support in there I can't imagine it not passing. It's crazy to 
be a part of history. I think we're all in shock right now."

There were skeptics. Rep. Sharon Cooper, chairwoman of the Health and 
Human Service Committee, voted for the proposal but cautioned that it 
is flawed. Cooper said research colleges that provide medical 
marijuana under the proposed law could lose federal funding and their 
officials could be prosecuted.

In the Senate, lawmakers approved a bill that says health insurance 
policies available through Georgia's federally run insurance exchange 
can't fund abortion.

The Republican-dominated chamber voted 35-18 to approve the 
restrictions, a step supporters said two dozen other states have 
already taken. Democratic lawmakers opposed the bill, saying it 
infringes on a woman's right to choose.

As the day progressed, House lawmakers voted 173-3 to approve placing 
a statue of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on the 
Capitol grounds or in another prominent location.

While the bill passed by a wide margin, honoring King has been 
politically controversial in past years. Former Gov. Lester Maddox 
refused to shut down state government when King was assassinated. A 
portrait of King hangs in the Statehouse, but the grounds also host 
portraits and monuments of politicians who supported segregation.

Other issues remain unresolved.

For example, a proposal to regulate companies that allow people to 
order a ride using their cell phones had not been scheduled for a 
vote, meaning it was at risk of collapsing this year. Those 
regulations were supported by existing limousine companies, but they 
were opposed by ridesharing companies including Uber.

Also, Rep. Wendell Willard, RSandy Springs, said he expected a 
proposal to tighten the rules under which police and prosecutors can 
seize property and cash would fail after it was opposed by law 
enforcement officials.

 From AP, staff reports Staff writer Jeremy Stewart contributed to this report.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom