Georgia CBD Medical Marijuana Bill Wins in House Committee, Still Has Shortcomings
Earlier this week, the Georgia House Health and Human Services Committee unanimously supported a bill allowing the use of CBD cannabis oil for children suffering from debilitating health conditions. The bill still has to pass the full House vote and then be approved by the Senate, but Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) is hopeful. From GPB News:
[Peake] told lawmakers, "The heart and intent is to find the best way for families in Georgia, in conjunction with their physicians, to get access [to the treatment.]"
The bill would authorize the Georgia Composite Medical Board to oversee the use of marijuana derivatives in a nonsmoking delivery system, such as an oil or pill form, for treatment of patients within an academic medical center research setting, under the direction of a physician.
The only conditions approved for treatment would be seizure disorders, glaucoma, and nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy and radiation.
The Marijuana Policy Project says that the bill is too restrictive, and that they "already know from similar programs in other states that this will be unworkable."
Reason TV recently released a video detailing one mother's battle to provide CBD for her child. The video, "Docs Afraid to Prescribe Life-Saving Medical Pot, Even Though It Won't Get Patients High," originally aired on Feb 25, 2014 and the original text is below:
Three-year-old Dahlia Barnhart was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer last June. Her mother, Moriah Barnhart, immersed herself in research and sought out any treatment that could improve Dahlia's condition.
"We were pretty much confronted early on with the fact that this was the worst case scenario," says Barnhart.
Barnhart's research led her to CBD extract, a major component of the cannabis plant. Unlike more commonly known THC, CBD doesn't get patients high. Barnhart says CBD has been extremely effective for Dahlia.
"The first night she took it, she slept through the night for the first time in her entire almost three years of life. She very quickly started to get her appetite back, she was thirsty," says Barnhart.
Many patients swear by CBD as a treatment for a variety of cancers and other serious conditions like epilepsy. Yet despite the fact that it's not psychoactive, doctors won't prescribe it for their patients.
"I was really shocked. To be completely honest, I discussed diets, supplements, and the only thing that could not be discussed was cannabis extract."
The murky waters surrounding federal prohibition have had a chilling effect on the medical community, and even though CBD may be a viable option for many patients, doctors won't prescribe it for fear of losing their licenses. Prohibition has also made researching and accessing CBD a difficult task. This is because CBD has been "strained out" over the years as CBD counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC.The Ludwig von Mises Institute's Mark Thornton says that prohibition can help explain these dimished levels of CBD.
"The war on drugs increases the risk and the penalties of being caught and therefore suppliers have a tendency–a strong desire–to bring in highly potent marijuana," Thornton says. "All of their efforts are given to driving up the potency of THC in marijuana and as a consequence they've also reduced the potency of CBD."
With marijuana legalization picking up steam and advocates like Moriah spreading the word, many are hopeful that access to strains with higher CBD levels may follow suit.
About 4:30 minutes.
