Family hopes Georgia will adopt medical marijuana bill after son receives treatment in Colorado

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned of significant movement in the Georgia legislature Friday that could eventually make medical marijuana available to sick children.

Channel 2's Lori Geary recieved an email from Republican state senator Josh McKoon who's proposing a study committee on the issue so that lawmakers can hear from both sides and the medical community on the science behind medical marijuana.

For one East Cobb family, they couldn't wait for Georgia lawmakers. They said they don't need scientific studies to prove that it's working for their 8-year-old boy.

"We're losing our family. The whole family has been together since day one. We came to Georgia in the '70's," said Ron Grzelka.

Grzelka is helping to pack up his daughter's house because she and her family fled to Colorado to get immediate help for 8-year-old Hunter. Hunter is the Klepinger's oldest son. He suffers from a severe seizure disorder.

"When you see a child have 25 in a row. In 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, it really gets to you. All you can do is hold him," Grzelka said.

The Klepinger's hastily moved to Colorado where medical marijuana is legal.

For the first time in his eight years of life where it's been up to a hundred seizures a day, Hunter's family said he went six days without a seizure after just 1 milliliter of the medicine.

"His hands were clenched for six years, always. He had the medicine, he went from being in pain to relieved," Grzelka said.

Hunter's family is now joining so many others in Georgia who have kids with similar disorders, lobbying to get state lawmakers to legalize medical marijuana in the state. Their movement is gaining momentum. Supporters said because they're trying to educate people on the issue.

"Everyone says marijuana and you immediately conjure someone sitting there smoking a joint, because I had several people ask me, 'How is an 8-year-old smoking a marijuana joint? It's like, 'they don't smoke it. It's an oil.' It's a tiny oil," Grzelka said.

WSBTV