The Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) supports the use of marijuana in strictly controlled medical research programs for patients who have cancer or glaucoma or who suffer from seizures as a result of refractory epilepsy.

This is an important issue for MAG, which is the leading voice for the medical profession in Georgia with more than 7,500 member physicians who represent every specialty and practice setting in the state.

MAG appreciates the steps that lawmakers in Georgia are taking to reach out to physicians as they craft legislation to address medical marijuana. We also applaud them for seeking solutions for the patients and family members who have to cope with these serious medical conditions on a daily basis.

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Medical marijuana is an oft-debated and polarizing subject. It inspires images of everything from a drive-thru dispensary on a sunny California beach to an ailing cancer patient desperately seeking a reprieve from the effects of chemotherapy.

For my own part, I have no dog in the fight. To me, the real question is simple "what does the science tell us?" As with most pharmacy-grade medicines, we should be looking to studies, clinical trials, and research to objectively assess the benefits of treatment against the possible harmful effects.

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The push to reform marijuana laws is spreading throughout America. The public debate has reached Georgia thanks to various advocacy groups and a few lawmakers who have pushed the marijuana debate to the forefront of Georgia politics.

I applaud the efforts of State Rep. Allen Peake and State Sen. Curt Thompson for filing marijuana legislation that has sparked a much-needed discussion on how best Georgia should deal with marijuana.

Rep. Peake wants very limited medical legislation (House Bill 1) while Sen. Thompson wants a more comprehensive law (Senate Bill 7), which would allow for in-state cultivation and dispensing of various forms of cannabis. SB 7 is the better approach to getting medicine to the masses.

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The legislator championing medical marijuana in Georgia said he hopes to announce an agreement soon with a manufacturer that aims to ship cannabis oil to residents in the state.

That process would be facilitated if Georgia passes a bill to offer immunity from prosecution to those families using cannabis oil for medical purposes, said state Rep. Allen Peake, Republican from Macon.

He told reporters Monday, Jan. 26, that the cannabis product in question contains so little THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, "that it's considered hemp."

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Immunity Language Is 'Crucial,' Says State Representative.

State Rep. Allen Peake, RMacon, on Monday officially filed his medical marijuana bill with nearly 100 co-sponsors.

Peake's bill, House Bill 1, will be assigned to committee on Tuesday. It will offer immunity from prosecution to Georgia families who possess a strain of cannabis oil that may be used to treat a variety of disorders.

Peake said he's hopeful that an out-of-state manufacturer will soon agree to ship the product directly to Georgia patients, eliminating the immediate need for a Georgia-based growing and manufacturing program.

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An AJC poll recently found that more Georgians than not support legalizing marijuana for recreational use. We're not talking about decriminalization here or pot brownies for cancer patients; we're talking full-on, Colorado-style marijuana dispensaries.

Forty nine percent of those polled said they support legal weed for adults, while 48 percent disagreed. Registered voters, however, were 52-48 percent against. That's because, I suppose, many pot supporters haven't gotten around to registering yet.

The issue of medical marijuana is again at the Legislature, and even though 84 percent of Georgians support legalizing a pot-based medication, the bill was immediately watered down. The proposed legislation would give Georgia patients immunity from prosecution if they possessed or transported cannabis oil. But the section of the bill that would have allowed growing marijuana to create the oil (which doesn't have the THC buzz) was dismissed out of hand. Not officially dismissed, but it was sent off to be studied, which is Legislaturese for sending it off to wither and die.

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Allen Peake is a man on a mission. The five-term Republican state representative from Macon is the driving force behind proposed legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Georgia. He may succeed this year after suffering a setback in 2014 when the House and Senate got into a bit of political brinksmanship at the last minute and failed to pass his bill, which had sailed through the House with only four negative votes.

Undaunted, Peake is back again with H.B. 1. He has the support of Gov. Nathan Deal (albeit with a few conditions) and House Speaker David Ralston. And with an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showing 84 percent of Georgians favor passage of medical marijuana legislation, I suspect he has the Senate's attention, as well.

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ALBANY - Neighborhood watch representatives got a basic education on illegal drugs, their effects and where they come from Saturday at the Community Room of the Albany downtown Law Enforcement Center.

The short course delivered by Maj. Bill Berry, of the Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit gave eager members of the Community Council of Watch Associations an earful of information on familiar drugs including ecstasy or "Molly," crack cocaine and prescription pain pills.

But they learned about some new threats too, including yaba (a blend of caffeine and methamphetamine), powdered alcohol, synthetic marijuana and even "Krokodil," a drug so devastating it destroys skin and muscle tissue from the inside out.

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State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, is a man on a mission. He is the driving force behind proposed legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Georgia. He may succeed this year, after suffering a setback in 2014 when the House and Senate got into a bit of political brinksmanship at the last minute and failed to pass his bill, which had sailed through the House with only four negative votes.

Peake is back again with House Bill 1. He has the support of Gov. Nathan Deal (albeit with a few conditions) and House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge. And with an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showing 84 percent of Georgians favor passage of medical marijuana legislation, I suspect he has the Senate's attention, as well.

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You're not going to see legislators rolling up big fat ones over the next few weeks, but members of the General Assembly will be discussing a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in a state that smokes ribs instead of weed.

The brainchild of State Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican from Macon, House Bill 1 would provide guidelines for growing, producing and selling therapeutic cannabis, an oil extracted from marijuana plants.

Measures are in place in 23 states and, despite the controversy surrounding such legislation, a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll shows 84 percent of registered voters in Georgia favor its passage.

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A clear majority of Georgia voters support legalizing medical marijuana, but they appear more closely split on whether to permit its recreational use, according to a poll by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The poll (http://bit.ly/1AGI8hY ) showed 84 percent of registered voters agreed the General Assembly should legalize marijuana-based medication. Lawmakers debated - but did not adopt - legislation last year that would have made cannabis oil legally available for the ill. The oil is harvested from marijuana plants and used to treat people with some seizure disorders.

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ATLANTA -- A proposal from state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, will protect Georgians from state prosecution if they possess certain liquid medical cannabis legally obtained in another state.

It remains a federal offense to transport any marijuana products across state lines. The Georgia bill sponsor, Peake, downplayed the transport risk for Georgia families because of a provision of the federal budget signed in December. The so-called "Cromnibus" bill defunds federal law enforcement operations against medical marijuana operations that comply with state laws.

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Starting about 1988, we, the God-fearing, law and order, peace-loving people of Georgia willingly allowed our state and federal governments to take from us our most closely guarded constitutional right not to be subjected to seizure of our assets without due process of law. It happened without so much as a whimper from any of us.

During this period, the legislature gave the police the right to seize and keep your property over the fear of drugs. The War on Drugs started then, and we have since wasted billions of dollars on this lost effort. We lost the war. This money could have been used to replace every bridge in our state in need of repair or replacement, to build new schools, and to hire and pay teachers rather than furloughing them.

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Atlanta (AP) - Georgia lawmakers revisited a divisive argument over legalizing medical marijuana on Wednesday, as parents pleaded for something to help children with seizure disorders and representatives of law enforcement and conservative groups warned of unintended consequences.

Members of a study committee met for the final time on Wednesday in Atlanta, with some lining up behind different proposals on the issue that will arise again in the 2015 legislative session that begins in January.

Republican Rep. Allen Peake, who spearheaded last session's failed effort to pass a bill aimed at helping children with seizure disorders, pre-filed a bill last month to allow limited use of medical cannabis in Georgia. Peake said he expects to have a draft bill by Christmas, or at the latest by the Jan. 12 start to the session.

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A state senator is proposing to fully legalize marijuana in Georgia, providing Colorado-style access at licensed retail shops while also allowing its use through medical providers for treatment of conditions including cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS.

State Sen. Curt Thompson, D-Norcross, filed the joint proposals Monday for consideration by the state Legislature next year. The legislative session starts Jan. 12.

Thompson's Senate Bill 7 would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana of up to two ounces for specific debilitating medical conditions and its use would be strictly regulated by the state.

Additionally, Senate Resolution 6 is a proposed amendment to the state constitution. Requiring voter approval, it would legalize, regulate and tax the sale of retail marijuana. Tax revenue from the sale of marijuana would be constitutionally earmarked for education and transportation infrastructure.

[end]

Atlanta (AP) - While an effort to bring a form of medical marijuana to Georgia garnered bipartisan support during the most recent legislative session, hurdles remain as lawmakers prepare to make another attempt at passing the legislation next year.

A bill is being drafted after a series of committee hearings and included testimony from leaders within the law enforcement and medical communities who raised concerns about the use of medical cannabis even under narrow circumstances. Meanwhile, progress is being made in terms of bringing clinical trials to Georgia, but advocates warn that will not be enough to help all those who see the drug as their best hope to manage debilitating conditions.

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Running a clinical trial of cannabis-derived oil for 50 children with uncontrollable seizures could cost the state of Georgia $7-8 million, an official with Georgia Regents University told a legislative study committee meeting in Augusta on Wednesday.

But outside of that limited number, entities in the state might be authorized to grow and produce the oil for the thousands of others who might benefit from it, the chief proponent for the legislation said.

The Joint Study Committee on the Prescription of Medical Cannabis for Serious Medical Conditions met at GRU to hear about progress in getting clinical trials started on a drug from GW Pharmaceuticals called Epidiolex that is a highly purified form of cannabidiol, one of the main active compounds in marijuana, with only minuscule amounts of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol. An expanded access study for two patients is only awaiting final approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration and that could come any day, said Dr. Michael Diamond, Interim Senior Vice President for Research at GRU.

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A legislative study committee on narrow uses of medical marijuana will hold a hearing Tuesday at Georgia Regents University to hear about potential medical evidence for use, according to the committee co-chairman. GRU itself is on the verge of beginning clinical trials into a purified cannabis oil drug for children with uncontrollable seizures.

The Joint Study Committee on the Prescription of Medical Cannabis will hold its fourth meeting in the ballroom of the Jaguar Student Activities Center on the Summerville campus of GRU. Previous meetings of the committee had heard from families with various medical conditions that might benefit from marijuana-derived oil and concerns from law enforcement about legalization, said Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, the chief proponent of legislation that would allow its use only under strict conditions.

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The Isabellas are tired of waiting on Georgia.

Next month, the Lawrenceville family plans to pull up roots and head for Colorado, where they can obtain a non-intoxicating form of medical marijuana for 7-year-old Brooke Isabella, who suffers from a chronic seizure disorder.

"Nobody can help us here," said father Chip Isabella, who was among parents rallying legislators earlier this year to allow an oil form of the drug in Georgia. "We're just stuck and we're tired of it. We could've had medical marijuana right here and been using it. We're tired of playing. Let's go."

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Federal prosecutors on Tuesday indicated they were disappointed criminal charges were not brought against any of the officers involved in the botched drug raid that left a toddler disfigured.

But remedying that decision won't be easy for U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, who faces a much higher threshold than that required on the state and local level.

"You have to show the person knowingly or willfully did what they did," said former assistant U.S. Attorney Buddy Parker. "You'd essentially have to develop evidence that these were rogue cops at work."

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