The medical cannabis bill was significantly amended on the floor of the Georgia House. It went from 12 to 54 pages, but it passed with a 154-13 vote and was sent back to the state Senate.

The Senate then voted 28-26 in agreement with the House’s amendment, failing by one vote to reach the necessary majority for approval, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“What are we doing? I don’t understand where these ideas came from,” said state Sen. Bill Cowsert (R) “It makes us look like a bunch of clowns in here for passing something out without any deliberation at all.”

House Bill 196 sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell (R) tried to raise transparency and authorize up to 20 production licenses (from the current two), and switch authority over the medical marijuana program from commission lawmakers created in 2019 to Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. 

The commission that was overseeing the program was criticized for slow license issuance, though not everyone agreed that switching authority was a good idea. 

“It seems unfair to unilaterally abolish a commission without holding any hearings on that,”  Cowsert said on the Senate floor Wednesday. 

Additionally, the bill was looking to resolve several lawsuits filed by nine companies that were unable to get a license and were asking Harper to mediate their complaints by May 31, reported Capitol Beat. 

Cowsert argued that this would be unfair to other bidders who didn’t get the license, but also haven’t filed a complaint. “We punish those people who didn’t sue and reward the ones who sued,” Cowsert said. 

Powell highlighted that the mediation is not the same as license approval, “we’re not saying the commission will give a license,” he said. “They can go through mediation.”

Sen. Carden Summers (R) called on his Senate colleagues to vote for the bill.

“This has been going on for four and a half years,” he said. “This bill is a solid bill that moves the state forward. It is time for us to get off the pot and deliver.”

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