Georgia State Capitol Building
ATLANTA—Dozens of parents returned to the capitol to fight for the right to treat their children with an oil derived from the marijuana plant. Legislation failed earlier this year to allow it, but lawmakers did agree to create a study committee, which met for the first time on Wednesday.
“These are kids that are dying waiting for bills to pass,” said Paige Figi, who flew in from Colorado to urge lawmakers to act. Figi pioneered the cannabidoil treatment for her daughter Charlotte more than two years ago. She says her daughter went from 1,200 seizures a month to one or two.
Figi says she’s met several Georgia families that have fled to Colorado for her help. “What a wonderful position and a powerful position that you are in to stand up for something that is unopposable, unabusable,” said Figi.
There is new push to approve the treatment on a federal level. But even if passed, the state would have to do the same.
In April the Governor announced efforts to start clinical trials for seizure patients at Georgia Regents University, but nothing has come of it so far.
It’s not just seizures. James Bell wants the state to let glaucoma and cancer patients use it too. “What we want to do is offer up a broader bill that allows for cultivation, allows for doctors and patients to interact and determine what is best for the patient,” said Bell, the director of Georgia Campaign for Access Reform and Education.