Medical Cannabis Commission’s 7 seats remain vacant after passing of HB 324

Cornerstone legislation creating a new marijuana industry for growing and selling medical cannabis in the state remains stalled because no one has been appointed to serve on the committee tasked with coming up with the rules.

The lack of members on the 7 seat Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission essentially stalls the new law and the AJC says no one from the Governor’s office, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office or the office of state House speaker David Ralston can offer any reasons why.

Proponents pushed for the new law to allow patients approved to use the drug the ability to also legally purchase it inside state lines instead of having it shipped into the state – violating state and federal laws.

The Commission will license up to 6 private companies to grow hemp, develop labs to test the drug, handle monies from grants and the state linked to the initiative and to hire an executive director and other staff for the program.

House Bill 324 was signed by Governor Brian Kemp on April 17 of this year. The law will solve a lot of the problems for the state’s more than 9,500 registered medical marijuana patients, if the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission’s 7-seats are filled.  

Without the commission, patients are unable to legally get state-sanctioned cannabis oil in their hands.

WNEG News will continue to follow this story and bring you additional details as they become available.