The Rockdale News Rockdale News Digital Edition, December10, 2014 | Page 6

In Depth Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014 MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEBATE ‘Haleigh’s Hope’ cannabis oil bill is back BY MERIS LUTZ How you can help After 21-year old Mary Elizabeth Hopkins passed away the family requested donations in lieu of flowers. Here’s where they requested: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Children’s Foundation, Park North 1577 Northeast Expressway Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30329, [email protected] The Children’s Miracle Network at donations. childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org Give Kids The World 210 South Bass Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746, www.gktw.org. When State Representative Allen Peake was first asked about medical marijuana by a reporter in January 2014, his response was swift and dismissive. “I said ‘absolutely not¬-- there’s no way; there’s no appetite for that; there’s no indication at all that the Georgia General Assembly is even interested in talking about medical marijuana’.” Nearly a year later, Peake has happily been proven wrong, with House Bill 1, also known as the Haleigh’s Hope Act, on track to be passed into law, making medicinal cannabis oil legal in Georgia. Peake was cautiously optimistic during an event on Monday in downtown Covington where he gave a detailed outline of the proposed legislation, which will be the first bill debated when the new legislative session opens on January 12, and fielded questions from among several dozen audience members. The legislation is intended to provide relief to thousands of Georgians suffering from conditions that have been successfully treated with cannabis oil. In particular, Peake said his priority is to bring home at least 17 Georgia famiRead more