Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) and Janea Cox watch the medical marijuana vote in the Georgia House of Representatives (Photo: Stephen Boissy, WXIA)
In a huge step for the south, Georgia successfully passed HB1 to allow for medical marijuana in the state. On top of that, state governor Nathan Deal has confirmed that he will indeed sign off on the bill in the next week. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) dubbed the measure "the Haleigh's Hope Act" after five year old Haleigh Cox, who struggles daily with sever seizures. The bill will allow for eight kinds of serious illnesses to be treated with the use of cannabis oils.
For many of the families, known as "medical refugees", who left Georgia for states like Colorado to find treatment for their loved ones, the passing of HB1 is huge success. "To come home to this is just amazing. It's a huge weight off our shoulders that we don't have to stay in Colorado another year to wait for legislation to pass. So it's giving my husband and I a chance to be a family again," Haleigh's mother Janea Cox stated.
11Alive.com did a two minute interview with Bill champion Allen Peake about the passing of the bill, which you can view by clicking the link below.
