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GEORGIA \u2014 A group of medical experts is calling on Gov. Brian Kemp to reject Senate Bill 220 as lawmakers head into their final day in the General Assembly. <\/p>\n
Senate Bill 220 would lift the current 5% THC limit on products and allow the sale of marijuana vapes and leaf marijuana for home vaporization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis moves our program from a low petroleum-based THC program to a medical cannabis program, which is how the other 41 states with these programs are set up,\u201d said Gary Long, CEO of Botanical Sciences Dispensary.<\/p>\n
Botanical Sciences grows marijuana in Georgia, which is used in products sold at the company’s five dispensaries.<\/p>\n
Customers must have a doctor’s permission to purchase medical cannabis prescribed for chronic conditions such as seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and intractable pain.<\/p>\n
SB 220 would add lupus to the list.<\/p>\n
Supporters say the bill would expand access for patients across Georgia, while critics worry it would remove a key safeguard.<\/p>\n
For Dr. Karen Drexler, this issue is personal.<\/p>\n
“My husband’s uncle used marijuana for many years, and in his 50s he became paranoid,” Drexler said. Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter<\/b>. <\/p>\n
Drexler said her loved one ultimately tried to set herself and her home on fire. <\/p>\n
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His wife was able to get them out safely, but the house was completely destroyed.<\/p>\n
“As a psychiatrist, I am convinced that schizophrenia does not start in your 50s and that this is caused by cannabis,” she said.<\/p>\n
That’s just one of the many reasons she feels strongly that Senate Bill 220 could pose a risk to Georgians’ mental health.<\/p>\n
The bill, passed by the Georgia House last week, would remove potency limits on THC, allow new forms such as e-cigarettes, and move toward dose-based regulation for registered patients.<\/p>\n
Dr. Elizabeth McCord, an internist and psychiatrist, said she has seen increased access to THC in recent years and how it increases the risk of addiction, psychosis and cognitive impairment.<\/p>\n
“I think a lot of Georgians are going to suffer. I think it’s going to take a toll on their mental and physical health,” McCord said.<\/p>\n
McCord, along with Drexler, was one of several medical professionals who sent a letter to Kemp earlier this week asking him not to sign SB 220.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSB 220 would authorize high-risk cannabis products such as vapes and concentrates that have no proven safety or benefit for any medical condition and have been shown to increase the risk of psychosis, addiction, stroke, heart attack, cognitive impairment, and other serious health effects. This would allow individuals to possess up to 12,000 mg of THC (the equivalent of more than 1,700 marijuana joints) at a time, with no meaningful limit on how often that amount can be redeemed. \u201d<\/p>\n
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Mark Newton, a physician, said the bill emphasizes accurate dosing, increased physician oversight and continued control over use.<\/p>\n
“This is still a controlled substance and the state of Georgia takes that seriously. We want doctors and patients to take this issue seriously,” Newton said.<\/p>\n
Newton also emphasized that no one under the age of 21 will be allowed to vape, and the bill would reduce the total amount a person can possess at one time.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the biggest things we\u2019ve done is allow patients to have a closer relationship with their physicians,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite the debate, both sides maintain that patient safety and physician oversight remain the top priorities.<\/p>\n
“If we’re going to call this a drug, we want it to meet the same standards as any other drug used to protect patients,” McCord said.<\/p>\n
“We have strengthened the bill to help physicians maintain the close patient relationships that are expected in the medical field,” Newton said.<\/p>\n
Danielle Raysor is a young mother and business owner who uses medical cannabis to treat symptoms caused by multiple sclerosis.<\/p>\n
She supports expanded programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was truly a miracle for my family because it allowed me to have the quality of life that I wanted and the energy that I needed to take care of my 6-year-old and run my business, and I really wouldn’t have had that without this program,\u201d Raysol said.<\/p>\n
The bill awaits Governor Brian Kemp’s signature.<\/p>\n
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