NORCROSS — Efforts are underway to introduce legislation to the General Assembly to allow the legal use, not only of medical marijuana, but the regulation of retail sales of the drug in Georgia.

Democrat state senator Curt Thompson of Gwinnett County, pre-filed legislation that may do just that.  He also pre-filed a constitutional amendment to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana and dedicate the tax proceeds to education and transportation.

Reports from the Atlanta Business Chronicle state that Thompson’s medical marijuana bill would allows doctors to prescribe up to two ounces to patients suffering from an array of medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer’s.

Other legislators are also filing marijuana-related legislation.  Legislation pre-filed last week by Georgia Republican Representative Allen Peake of Macon would restrict use to legalizing cannabis oil for treatment of seizure disorders in children and adults. A bill Peake pushed during this year’s General Assembly that would only have opened the door to giving cannabis oil to children died on the final day of the legislative session.

“While I adamantly support cannabis oil treatments for children with severe medical problems, I believe physicians should have the ability to care for all of their patients, regardless of age,” Thompson said in a prepared statement.

Thompson believes regulating and taxing marijuana sales to adults would make available another revenue source to the state without raising taxes.

As of now, Washington and Colorado are the only states that allow recreational use of marijuana. Voters in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., approved legalizing marijuana this month.