Majority of House members sign medical cannabis bill

ATLANTA -- A bill in the state House of Representatives that would license limited medical marijuana cultivation has the signatures of 60 percent of representatives.

Its sponsor, state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, said he is pleased with the support.

Peake's House Bill 722 would let the state license up to six medical cannabis companies. Each company could grow specially bred cannabis and manufacture medications in liquid or pill form for any one of 17 diagnoses. Patients would have to get a doctor's recommendation and join the state's medical marijuana registry.

A total 108 House members had signed the bill as of late Tuesday morning, after Peake spent a day and a half shopping it up and down Capitol halls, pen in hand.

Changing the law to allow for growing medical cannabis in Georgia has been his mission for months. He said that House Bill 722 is a narrow medical bill.

"For folks that think that this bill is going to allow them to be able to smoke some weed anytime, anyplace they want to, they're going to be sorely disappointed," Peake said.

But if the number of signatures make his chances for House approval look good, there's still the Senate's separate confirmation process and the governor to consider.

Republican Gov. Nathan Deal has said he does not support the bill, because he is not convinced the state could control the industry. Some law enforcement leaders also have said they fear a medical industry could serve as cover for black market marijuana.

Peake will seek a first House committee hearing in the coming days.

To contact writer Maggie Lee, e-mail mlee@macon.com.

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Majority of House members sign medical cannabis bill ."