State Representative Micah Gravley (R-Douglasville) recently introduced House Bill 324, the Georgia’s Hope Act, legislation which would allow for the cultivation, manufacturing and dispensing of low THC oil in Georgia.

“Thousands of Georgians are suffering from serious medical conditions that can be improved by use of low THC oil, and Georgia patients have only been allowed to possess medical cannabis without an avenue to legally obtain this vital treatment,” said Rep. Gravley. “The House of Representatives has passed several medical cannabis bills in recent years, and while our state has made great strides in legalizing the possession of low THC oil, we now have a chance to ensure that Georgians have safe, affordable access to medical cannabis options here in our state.”

Rep. Gravley’s legislation has received an outpouring of support from doctors in Georgia’s medical community including prominent neurologist Dr. Scott Cooper. In a recent interview with WSB-TV, Dr. Cooper shared his extreme support for HB 324 after seeing first-hand the changes in patients as young as 15 years old and even patients that are older than 80 years old. Dr. Cooper also encouraged Rep. Gravley’s efforts to provide a safe avenue for patients to obtain low THC oil in-person rather than purchasing low THC oil products online. He has encountered patients that have ingested tainted low THC oil after purchasing from precarious online sources.

Under HB 324, the Department of Public Health (DPH) would issue various classes of licenses to produce, grow and manufacture low THC oil as well as separate licenses qualified Georgia applicants for safe access retail dispensaries by January 1, 2020. This legislation would also create a seed-to-sale tracking system, and it would require facility inspections and sample testing of medical cannabis oil products.

The Georgia’s Hope Act would provide a legal pathway to manufacture and dispense certain amounts low THC oil for patients with certain medical conditions such as terminal cancer, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and severe autism. Only eligible patients that are registered with the DPH’s Low THC Oil Patient Registry would be able to purchase and possess up to 20 ounces of the low THC oil through licensed dispensaries throughout the state.

Over the last two years, Rep. Gravley co-chaired the Joint Study Commission on Low THC Medical Oil Access, which dedicated its efforts to examine in-state access to medical cannabis and low THC oil, including the security and control of the process from acquisition and planting of seeds to final destruction of unused portions of the plant; quality control of the manufacturing process; and dispensing the final product. The commission identified several ways to ensure proper security safeguards and systems for evaluating the qualifications of potential licensees.