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 But patients still may find it difficult to obtain the cannabis oil
for their treatment, advocates said.
Under the law, which takes effect immediately, patients who complete
a screening process will be provided with documentation allowing
them to possess cannabis oil with a low percentage of
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical in marijuana that produces
a high, Governor Nathan Deal said in a statement.
Those with cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease,
mitochondrial disease, Parkinson’s and sickle cell disease also will
be eligible for the medical marijuana.
“For the families enduring separation and patients suffering pain,
the wait is finally over,” Deal said in a statement, referring to
families that moved out of state to places where the drug was
already legal.
The bill's sponsor, state Representative Allen Peake, said there are
pharmaceutical companies that will ship the low-THC oil to Georgia,
where it remains illegal to grow marijuana.
The law does not permit the use of high-THC oil that might be needed
for patients with the more serious conditions such as cancer, Peake
said.
Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the pro-marijuana group
NORML, predicted on Thursday that Georgia patients will face hurdles
to legally obtain the marijuana oil permitted under the new law.
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They will be forced to purchase it in other states, such as
Colorado, where marijuana is legal, St. Pierre said. However, it is
illegal under those states' laws and federal law to bring the drug
across state lines to Georgia, he said.
The governor's office directed questions about how patients will be
able to obtain the drug to the state's public health department,
which declined to comment.
Georgia is the 12th U.S. state to approve the non-euphoric marijuana
oil, St. Pierre said. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia
allow regular marijuana to be smoked for medicinal purposes.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Mohammad Zargham)
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