The Senate legislation takes a different approach by setting a May 31 deadline for the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to authorize six companies that had previously applied for licenses, but not necessarily the six selected in July. Senate Bill 609 was approved on 52-0 vote.
âThe sole purpose of the bill is to move the ball forward on getting medical cannabis to the folks on the registry,â said state Sen. Dean Burke, a Republican from Bainbridge. âThe process, most people would say, has been flawed.â
Neither the House nor the Senate proposals would give registered patients certainty that theyâll be able to buy cannabis oil soon.
The Senate legislation would disrupt an ongoing licensing process, creating the possibility of lawsuits from companies that could delay cannabis oil production.
The House measure doesnât set a date by which licenses would be issued, and a bidding process would take months, followed by awards and then potential protests and lawsuits by losing companies. A new competitive bidding process would grade bids by an independent third party instead of by political appointees to the cannabis commission.
So far, there are over 20,000 registered medical marijuana patients in Georgia authorized to orally consume cannabis oil for illnesses including severe seizures, Parkinsonâs disease and terminal cancers. The oil can have no more than 5% THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high.
Both bills that advanced Tuesday will next be considered by the opposite chamber. Both the House and Senate would need to agree on one bill and pass it before this yearâs legislative session concludes April 4.
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