The Georgia House of Representatives is calling on the U.S. Congress to allow medical research of marijuana.
The House voted 158-5 on Thursday to pass a resolution asking Congress to take action so that marijuana can be studied, either by reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule II drug or by passing a separate law.
Marijuana is currently considered a Schedule I drug with with no accepted medical use, according to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
Congress needs to "get off their duffs and act," said Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, during a speech in the House.
“I’m really tired off us not being able to know if marijuana oil really works,” Cooper said. “Which diseases does it work with, which ones does it not work with if it’s effective.”
Georgia’s medical marijuana law, passed in 2015, allows cannabis oil to be used by patients suffering from seizures, cancer and other illnesses.
But it's still illegal in Georgia to buy or transport medical marijuana, and efforts to allow marijuana cultivation and distribution stalled this year. Lawmakers plan to create a study committee on the issue this year.
House Resolution 1363 will be distributed to members of Georgia's congressional delegation.
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