Thanks to Georgia Cannabis for summarizing House Bill 722 filed last week by Georgia State Rep. Allen Peake. After the Georgia commission on medical cannabis voted not to recommend in-state cultivation for Georgia, Peake said he intended to continue the fight. HB-722 is the result of his efforts.
What HB 722 Does
From the outset 722 is a radical departure from Georgia’s Haleigh’s Hope Act, which only decriminalized possession of certain substances by qualified patients and never actually established a medical marijuana program in Georgia. In contrast, this new law would:
- Dismantle Georgia’s Low THC Oil Registry, which is currently maintained by the Department of Public Health
- Create a new patient registry for qualified patients
- Expand the list of qualifying conditions
- Provide a broader definition for caretakers
- Create a robust, fully-regulated medical cannabis system that includes in-state cultivation (no smoking, oil or vape only)
- Track the progress of patient treatment by collecting aggregated information on treatments and outcomes
- Place strict controls over who may access patient information and states that patient registry records may not be used against them in unrelated criminal proceedings
- Provide legal protection for qualified patients in housing and school situations
- Provide employment protection to qualified patients
- Provide custody protection to parents who are qualified parents
- Provide reasonable access to patients who are in nursing facilities
- Create a perpetual 20-person task force with vague duties
The bill also expands the accepted medical conditions.