ATLANTA (AP) — A bill allowing a form of medical marijuana is headed to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal after a two-year legislative battle.
House lawmakers agreed, 160-1, Wednesday to the compromise measure.
The bill includes eight conditions: seizure disorders, sickle cell anemia, cancer, Crohn's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, mitochondrial disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.
A previous House version included fibromyalgia in the permissible conditions. The condition was deleted by the Senate.
Sponsoring state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, says Georgia would become the 24th state to allow the use of marijuana extract for medical treatment if Deal signs the bill. State health officials would then begin developing a system for overseeing the program.
Peake hopes the measure will convince 17 Georgia families with sick children to return from Colorado, where marijuana is legal.