Georgia
Bill to pull back secrecy surrounding Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission moves forward
Georgia Legislature debates adjustments to medical hashish program
A invoice geared toward bolstering Georgia’s long-awaited medical hashish program took one step nearer to the end line, however not earlier than main adjustments had been made to the unique invoice. A Senate committee saved language in a invoice that might for the primary time make the Georgia Medical Hashish Fee topic to the state open information act. The secrecy surrounding the fee and the bid course of has annoyed sufferers, the general public, journalists, and good authorities advocates.
ATLANTA – A invoice geared toward bolstering Georgia’s long-awaited medical hashish program took one step nearer to the end line, however not earlier than main adjustments had been made to the unique invoice.
A Senate committee saved language in a invoice that might for the primary time make the Georgia Medical Hashish Fee topic to the state open information act.
State Sen. Invoice Cowsert unveiled his committee’s model of the Medical Marijuana Invoice proposing to make Georgia’s Medical Hashish Fee extra clear and create extra licenses for corporations to develop and promote medical marijuana.
Final yr, the Georgia Medical Hashish Fee awarded probably profitable licenses to 6 corporations to develop and promote medical marijuana.
For 2 years, the FOX 5 I-Group has investigated the awarding of medical marijuana licenses in Georgia, exposing controversial company backgrounds involving 4 of the successful bidders.
The I-Group additionally reported how hundreds of pages of successful bids, by legislation, had been redacted and saved secret from dropping bidders, the general public, and the media.
“We have now a damaged system girls and gents,” mentioned state Rep. Alan Powell.
Rep. Powell hopped to repair what he believes was a fatally flawed and deeply political choice course of.’
Powell argued Wednesday in a Senate committee that his Home Invoice 196 would make the Medical Hashish Fee topic to Georgia’s Open Data act, pulling again the curtain of secrecy surrounding the businesses that gained licenses.
His invoice would give 9 of the dropping bidders who correctly appealed the secretive choice course of a license to develop and promote medical hashish.
“I’m a doctor, we’re not seeking to gouge sufferers,” mentioned Botanical Sciences founder Dr. Robin Fowler.
Profitable bidders like Dr. Robin Fowler, of Botanical Sciences, fought again saying the present license holders can deal with the demand.
The Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted unanimously to maneuver the invoice ahead, preserving the language making the Georgia Entry to Medical Hashish Fee topic to the Open Data Act.
“The winner can be the general public. Since you people who’re doing you your job within the press will then be capable to discover out what occurred,” mentioned Powell
However Cowsert’s committee stripped out the language that might have given extra licenses to 9 dropping bidders who’ve appealed to develop and promote medical marijuana.
Cowsert says it doesn’t matter what occurs subsequent, medical marijuana must be out there by this summer season.
“The lengthy wait will probably be over quickly. We will probably be rewarded for our endurance, and we’ll have reduction for these sufferers,” mentioned Sen. Cowsert.
The invoice now goes to the Senate Guidelines Committee to schedule a flooring vote. Due to the variations within the Home and Senate, most count on a convention committee the place the 2 sides would attempt to hammer out a compromise.