ATLANTA (April 19, 2019) | House Bill 324, also known as “Georgia’s Hope Act” was signed into law on Wednesday. Sen. Matt Brass (R – Newnan) carried the bill in the Senate and was present for the bill signing.
“This day has been years in the making and would not have been possible without the efforts of those who served before us who paved the way for access to low THC oil,” said Sen. Brass. “With the signing of this bill, we are sending a strong message that we will not let fear get in the way of doing what is right. I have heard countless hours of testimony first-hand as to how the passage of this bill will improve the lives of citizens throughout our state. Georgia’s parents now have more flexibility in how they provide medical care for their children and patients now have access to treatment methods to ease their suffering previously unavailable to them. Without the hard work and attention of Gov. Kemp, Lt. Governor Duncan, my colleagues in the Senate and the House, and countless other individuals who took the time to discuss this issue with us, this bill might not have been signed today. I look forward to witnessing the benefits this bill will bring to patients across our state.”
HB 324 would create a five-member Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee the sale of low-THC cannabis oil to Georgians who are registered patients suffering from designated diagnoses. The proposed commission would be in charge of obtaining the oil, issuing licenses for the production, growing, manufacturing and dispensing of the low THC oil. Under HB 324, The University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University would be able to apply for federal licenses to grow marijuana for the purpose of converting it into cannabis oil for research. Additionally, the state Board of Pharmacy would be allowed to license pharmacies interested in selling oil to registered patients.
Sen. Brass served as a Co-Chairman of the Joint Study Commission on Access to Low THC Medical Oil which met throughout the interim to hear from doctors, patients, parents and other stakeholders involved in the low THC oil industry.
# # # #
For Immediate Release:
April 19, 2019
Andrew Allison, Broadcast Specialist
andrew.allison@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028