Compromise on Georgia medical cannabis expansion expected today

March 16--ATLANTA -- Georgia lawmakers will soon hear a compromise medical cannabis bill that would open the state's liquid medical cannabis registry to patients who have six new diagnoses, according to state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon.

The diagnoses that would be added are: "severe autism" for patients under the age of 18, autism for people aged over 18, severe or end-stage cases of Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, peripheral neuropathy, severe Tourette's syndrome or any case of the painful skin disease epidermolysis bullosa. It also opens the registry to people in hospice programs.

"We're adding six conditions, that's a positive thing," said Peake. His House Bill 65, which got House support, would have added more conditions.

The state Senate passed a bill that added only one condition and would have cut the maximum THC level in Georgia-legal medical cannabis oil from 5 percent to 3 percent.

The compromise bill would leave the THC cap at 5 percent, said Peake.

THC is the main compound in marijuana that causes a high.

The compromise bill is scheduled for a House committee hearing on Thursday afternoon.

Come back to macon.com for updates on this developing story and read Friday's Telegraph

Maggie Lee: @maggie_a_lee

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