Georgia Legalizes Medical Marijuana Oil

Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation Thursday that legalizes marijuana oil for medical use in Georgia.

The law took effect immediately and makes it legal for persons suffering from cancer, Crohn’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, sickle cell disease, and other illnesses to possess up to 20 ounces of marijuana oil, if a doctor recommends it. The state has estimated that hundreds of thousands of residents are likely eligible to use medical marijuana.

But there is one big problem: patients cannot easily, or legally, obtain marijuana oil because it’s illegal to cultivate marijuana in Georgia. This means that people will have illegally make marijuana oil or transport it from another state that permits recreational marijuana, such as Colorado or Washington. And transporting marijuana across state lines is illegal, as is being in possession of marijuana in many states.

State lawmakers remain divided over how extensive the state’s program should become. Advocates contend that Georgia must legalize and regulate the in-state cultivation of marijuana oil.

“If I had to break federal law, I’ll gladly do it,” stated a mother whose daughter suffers from seizures that only respond to marijuana oil. “If they want to come get us, then come get us.”