Georgia Moves Closer to Legalizing Marijuana
On April 3, Georgia’s state assembly approved a bill to legalize the production and sale of marijuana, which will be strictly for medicinal purposes.
April 4 2019, Published 10:12 a.m. ET
Legalizing marijuana
More states in the United States are thinking about legalizing marijuana. At some point, marijuana might be legalized at the federal level as well. On April 3, Georgia’s state assembly approved a bill to legalize the production and sale of marijuana, which will be strictly for medicinal purposes. The HB 324 Georgia Hope Act hasn’t been signed into law yet.
About the bill
The bill will allow cannabis derivative THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) oil with low potency to be dispensed, manufactured, and produced for medical patients. The bill also creates an ecosystem that will enable the procurement and sale of cannabis among various entities including pharmacies.
The bill states that there can be significant benefits for thousands of patients in Georgia with serious medical illnesses. The benefits of low THC oil can only be sourced from the marijuana plant.
Marijuana use has been widely debated. There are opponents that regularly demand scientific proof that marijuana benefits medical patients. Several US states have already legalized medical marijuana. Some states have even legalized marijuana for recreational purposes.
However, the Georgia Hope Act will strictly allow physicians to authorize medical cannabis for certain patients. The bill doesn’t allow cannabis for recreational or non-medical purposes.
Unless marijuana becomes legalized at the federal level, companies (HMMJ) including Canopy Growth (WEED), Tilray (TLRY), Aurora Cannabis (ACB), and Aphria (APHA) have limited expansion scope in the United States.
