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Law Georgia

I have family there and visit often, and I absolutely agree, the state has NO program and that is exactly the way they want it. It has all been hand-waving so far, and strictly for show. To the best of my knowledge, there are no plans to allow access for “patients” of any description, but they are working to figure out how best to control cannabis production once it’s forced upon them.

Appreciate you helping keep an eye on them!
 
Georgia bill advances for police to make arrests for hemp or marijuana

Police across Georgia would be empowered to arrest people for possession of small amounts of green leafy substances, even if they can’t tell whether it’s illegal marijuana or legal hemp, according to a bill that passed a state House committee Tuesday.

The bill would make it a crime to transport hemp plants without paperwork showing it was produced under a farming or processing license. Violators would face up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine for possession of less than an ounce — the same penalty as misdemeanor marijuana.

The House Agriculture Committee approved the legislation on a voice vote, with two representatives opposing it. The measure, House Bill 847, could soon receive a vote in the full House and then be considered by the state Senate.

The proposal comes after the General Assembly approved hemp farming last year, allowing people to grow and manufacture the plant used to make CBD oil, a popular health product that’s currently imported to Georgia from other states. Hemp contains less than 0.3% THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high.

Prosecutors and police said they need a way to enforce marijuana offenses after several metro Atlanta cities and counties stopped making arrests for low-level marijuana offenses. Hemp and marijuana look similar, and officers would need a test to determine whether the substance is illegal.

“If you treat any leafy substance as hemp, you’re decriminalizing marijuana in this state,” said Pete Skandalakis, the executive director for the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia. “I don’t think that’s what the Legislature wants.”

Critics said lawmakers shouldn’t make hemp a crime, and they worried that police could interpret the legislation broadly to prosecute possession of CBD oil as well as raw hemp plants.

If police are truly concerned about enforcing misdemeanor marijuana possession, they should spend the money and time needed for lab tests of THC content, said Mazie Lynn Causey, a lobbyist for the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.


“What’s happening here is the criminalizing of a legal substance,” Causey said. “What this bill does is it treats hemp as marijuana for the purposes of prosecution.”

The bill’s approval is necessary so hemp farming can begin in Georgia, said its sponsor, state Rep. John Corbett, a Republican from Lake Park. The legislation also brings Georgia into compliance with federal regulations and clarifies that greenhouses can grow and sell hemp.

“It is crunchtime in Georgia,” said Agriculture Chairman Tom McCall, a Republican from Elberton. “We should have had this done several months ago. The greenhouse people are getting antsy. The farmers are getting antsy.”

Opposition to the bill came from state Rep. Scot Turner, a Republican from Holly Springs, who said police could seize the assets of people in possession of hemp, as they do for those suspected of marijuana possession.

“We’re treating it as if it’s a criminal product,” Turner said. “We have the ability to do a test. We’re choosing not to. Why aren’t we just taking the steps necessary to establish the criminal behavior on a product that’s actually illegal?”

And state Rep. Matthew Wilson, a Democrat from Brookhaven, questioned why the state would make it a crime to possess hemp after the federal government has passed laws and regulations stating that it’s not considered a controlled substance like marijuana.

A hemp crop could take off in Georgia as soon as this year if lawmakers approve the bill, hemp businesses told the committee. McCall said the bill could be amended in the Senate.
 
Thought I’d dust off this sub thread.

In the city of Doraville, a small suburb in northern DeKalb County, Black residents make up less than 10% of the population. Last year, however, Black people accounted for nearly 75% of the marijuana-related arrests made by the Doraville Police Department.

They were among more than 100 people arrested in Doraville in 2019 because they were allegedly found in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, according to police department data.

“When I saw that there were over 100 people that were put in jail that would not have been put in jail except for the possession of a small amount of marijuana, I felt we needed to do something about that,” said Doraville Councilwoman Stephe Koontz, who sponsored an ordinance to decriminalize marijuana possession under one ounce. “That’s 100 people that didn’t need to spend the night in jail.”

The City Council unanimously passed the ordinance Monday night; it goes into effect immediately.
Under state law, cities and counties do not have the power to legalize marijuana possession, which remains a misdemeanor in Georgia. But they can reduce the penalties so it no longer necessarily leads to an arrest. Doraville, which has over 10,000 residents, joins more than a dozen local governments in Georgia that have also decriminalized possession by instituting fines that can be paid in Municipal Court.
ExploreShould Georgia legalize it? Lower penalties for pot a growing movement

Adults in violation of the ordinance are subject to a $75 fine for the first offense, and $150 for the second offense in a year.
“I see this as a victimless crime,” said Koontz, who has been working on the issue for over a year. “Simple possession really doesn’t have an impact on public safety or other people’s lives.”
Clarkston was the first Georgia city to pass a similar ordinance in 2016. Since then, Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta-Richmond County and Macon-Bibb County are among the large local governments that have passed local decriminalization ordinances.


Under current state law, the punishment for simple possession could be up to one year in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Municipal rules also can’t impact every case involving weed; officers can still choose to arrest someone and charge them under the state law. And if a suspect is charged with marijuana possession on top of a more serious criminal offense, the case has to go to state court and the defendant would be subject to the harsher penalties.
According to data provided by Doraville’s police Chief Chuck Atkinson to the City Council, 135 people were arrested last year and charged with possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. In just over 100 of those cases, possession was either the only charge or the only arrestable offense.
Marijuana advocates have called on the state to decriminalize or legalize weed. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com







Of those arrested, 98 were listed as either Black or “Black, non-Hispanic,” according to the data. Eighteen were white, and 18 were “white and Hispanic.” One was Asian or Pacific Islander. Atkinson pointed out in a letter to the council that the offender’s races listed in the police reports are “based on the officer’s judgement,” and are not necessarily how arrestees identify themselves. According to Census estimates, about 55% of Doraville’s population is Hispanic or Latino, and 15% is Asian.
“”We have overcriminalized drug use for far too long,” Mayor Joseph Geierman said in a statement. “Marijuana is safely regulated and legal to use in half the country but in Georgia, people are imprisoned and their lives are ruined, with people of color being disproportionately targeted and sentenced for the offense. This new law is a small step towards addressing that inequity.”
 

Georgia Accepting Applications for Medical Cannabis Production

The process for getting licensed will be competitive.

Medical cannabis is slowly but surely coming to the state of Georgia, a little bit at a time. The state is now accepting applications for those who want to manufacture cannabis. This means that those who need medical cannabis oil, which is legal in the state, will actually be able to obtain it within state lines.

This move is a long time coming, as it has been five years since treatment with medical cannabis oil was legalized in the state by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.

As of now, there are about 14,000 registered patients in the state hoping to use medical cannabis oil as treatment, but until now, they had to go out of state to do it. While medical cannabis use in certain cases was made legal in 2015, sale of legal cannabis was only legalized last year, and due to COVID delays, the industry is only now getting started.

As of now, those interested in being manufacturers have through December 28 to apply for one of the first licenses in the Georgia cannabis industry. Licenses will be issued in March if all goes according to plan, but it could still take six months to a year from that time before cannabis is actually available to patients.

“I do think this is the first step in a really great economic development opportunity with an emphasis on Georgia business and small business development,” said Andrew Turnage, the commission’s executive director. “The commission works very hard to keep this process moving forward every single day.”

Since the sale and production of cannabis was legalized a year ago, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission has been meeting and coming up with a plan for distribution, testing, oversight, and giving licenses to the businesses who want to join the industry and sell cannabis oil.

The Fine Print​

As of now, the licensing process is extremely complex and competitive, as only six companies will be licensed to join the industry. The oil they create cannot have more than 5 percent THC, and can still only be prescribed in specific, medical circumstances. Furthermore, facilities must either be 100,000 square feet or 50,000 square feet, and only two of the businesses licensed can be the larger side.

Any licensed facilities will have to hire security and install cameras to keep things safe and secure. A seed-to-sale tracking system will keep track of product at all times so that the industry meets strict guidelines and stays compliant.

The next step after establishing those who will grow cannabis and extract oil will be to grant licenses to the oil dispensaries that will be selling product. Once those businesses are up and running, patients will actually be able to get the help they need in-state.

“We just want to keep the patients in the forefront,” Commission Chairman Dr. Christopher Edwards said. “And the longer this process goes on, the longer the time it takes for patients to receive help.”

The medical cannabis industry in Georgia is just in its beginning stages, but it’s shaping up to be running strong in the coming years.
 

Georgia’s Senate Runoffs Could Decide Federal Marijuana Policy In 2021: Here’s Where The Candidates Stand


Two Georgia runoff elections for U.S. Senate seats being held next month will decide which party controls the chamber—and that will have significant implications for marijuana policy in the 117th Congress.

Democratic wins for both positions would mean that the party would reclaim command over the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as a tiebreaker. Both of the Democratic candidates vying for those seats are in favor of cannabis and drug policy reform. If Republicans keep the majority by winning at least one of the Georgia seats, meanwhile, the prospects of ending federal marijuana prohibition would be dimmed for at least the next two years.

That’s not because GOP voters oppose enacting the policy change. In fact, 51 percent of Republicans said in a recent poll that they favor a House-passed bill to federally legalize marijuana. But current leadership in the Senate has given no signal that they would take up, let alone prioritize, cannabis reform. Figures like Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who holds staunchly anti-marijuana views, would likely be reinstalled next year if the party keeps control.

What all of that means is that the January 5 runoffs will likely decide the fate of federal cannabis policy, at least until the 2022 midterm elections. For voters who care about marijuana issues in the state, which went to President-elect Joe Biden in a historic flip, there’s a lot at stake.

Here’s where each of the Georgia Senate candidates stand on cannabis, followed by some broader analysis:

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)​

The senator, who joined Congress earlier this year after being appointed by the state’s governor to fill a vacancy, earned an F grade on her cannabis platform from the advocacy group NORML.

Loeffler said that while she understands “some of the arguments in favor of ending the federal prohibition of marijuana and am aware that there are potential medical applications,” she is “concerned about the negative effects that legalizing marijuana would have on communities, families, and our nation’s youth.”

She also pointed to an advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General cautioning against cannabis use by adolescents and pregnant women.

“Any efforts by Congress to legalize this substance must be taken seriously and with the common goal in mind to prevent Americans from becoming dependent on drugs,” she said, according to NORML.

Loeffler said in an American Family Association survey that she “strongly disagrees” with the legalization of marijuana.

The senator has also been dismissive of recent congressional efforts to reform marijuana laws. For example, she criticized House Democrats for including language in a coronavirus relief bill that would protect banks that service state-legal cannabis businesses from being penalized by federal regulators.


.@realDonaldTrump is fighting to restore the blue collar boom he created since taking office while the Democrats’ relief plan mentions cannabis 20 more times than it mentions jobs.
It’s time to drop these political games & get this done. pic.twitter.com/wJtwAEkJ4K
— Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) August 8, 2020


She also joined the chorus of Republicans who chastised Democrats for holding a vote on a bill to federally legalize marijuana this month. That legislation was approved.


Millions of Americans are struggling, and what is Pelosi's House Majority doing?
– Voting on a "Tiger King" bill
– Voting to legalize marijuana
– Studying ceiling fans
Meanwhile they're still blocking aid for small businesses & employers.
DESPICABLE.
Americans deserve better. https://t.co/lMdyq7y0HT
— Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) December 9, 2020


Loeffler has not cosponsored any cannabis reform bills during her time in the Senate.

Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock​

The reverend has frequently discussed the failures of the war on drugs and supports marijuana reform.

“Marijuana is seen as an illegal substance,” he said in one sermon. “It’s a terrible irony and we feel it, that right now in America there are some folks who are becoming billionaires for selling the same stuff that’s got our children locked up all across America.”



“Where is the justice?” he asked “It’s not enough to decriminalize marijuana. Somebody’s gotta open up the jails and let our children go.”

Loeffler, who Warnock is running to unseat, attempted to criticize him for those remarks by falsely claiming in a debate this month that he wanted to broadly empty prisons and wouldn’t keep communities safe.


Loeffler's line about Warnock wanting to "empty the prisons" is pretty misleading. Warnock was talking specifically about marijuana convictions. The quote was: "It’s not enough to decriminalize marijuana; somebody’s got to open up the jail cells and let our children go."
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) December 7, 2020


Speaking more broadly about the drug war in another sermon, Warnock pointed out that the U.S. only seemed to take a public health approach to substance misuse when it became clear that the opioid misuse epidemic was entered largely white communities.

“For 35 years we’ve had a war on drugs. Now, back then we were dealing with heroin, crack. Now we’re dealing with meth and opioids,” he said. “It’s interesting to me that now we have a public health emergency. I’m glad we’ve become so enlightened now that the bodies are suburban, rural and white.”

“In 1980, there were about 300,000 or so Americans in prison. Today there are 2.3 million Americans in prison. Most of them are there for non-violent, drug-related offenses in America’s so-called war on drugs. We warehouse in America 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Nobody else comes close. Not even China with a billion people. We’ve got them beat. We warehouse 25 percent of the world’s prisoners in the so-called war on drugs.”

“When our children take a plea, sometimes for a marijuana charge—and we deplore drug use, to be sure.—but some children are taken down to central booking, and others are taken home,” he said. “The issue is not simply drugs. Raise your hand if you ever tried some weed. You’re in church now.”

Sen. David Perdue (R-GA)​

NORML gave Perdue a B- for his cannabis record in the Senate.

“I’m not a doctor, but the only use of marijuana that I would support today would be the medical use of it,” he said in 2014. “I’ve talked to other physicians that think it’s a valuable tool to use. I’m basing this on medical thought that that is a tool to use against some treatments for cancer and so forth, and if that can be used medicinally, I would be OK with that.”

Perdue said he would protect his state’s limited medical cannabis program from potential federal interference.

“As a senator, I’m telling you that I’m going to support the law of the land in the state of Georgia, that’s first of all, second of all, that the medicinal use of it is something that I would be receptive to,” he said.

Perdue is opposed to broader legalization and has not cosponsored any marijuana reform legislation in the Senate.

Democrat Jon Ossoff​

Jon Ossoff, the Democratic challenger to Perdue is in favor of cannabis legalization and said that he would push for the policy change if elected to the Senate.


In the Senate I'll fight for stronger civil rights laws and due process protections, an end to mandatory minimum sentencing, prison reform that raises conditions to humane standards, death penalty abolition, cannabis legalization, and to ban private prisons.
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) June 19, 2020


“Some get rich in the legal cannabis industry while others sit in prison for nonviolent cannabis offenses. Prohibition destroys lives, wastes resources, and enriches cartels,” he wrote in July. “Federal legalization is long overdue.”


Some get rich in the legal cannabis industry while others sit in prison for nonviolent cannabis offenses.
Prohibition destroys lives, wastes resources, and enriches cartels.
Federal legalization is long overdue. pic.twitter.com/vOQEj1YYGU
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) July 21, 2020


In an interview CNBC, Ossoff said “I won’t just push for decriminalization, I’ll push for nationwide legalization of cannabis.”

“The prohibition of this substance is irrational,” he said. “It’s hugely expensive. It has a terrible human toll.”

He’s also previously remarked that marijuana is safer than alcohol, while prohibition “destroys lives.”


Fact: Cannabis is much less dangerous than alcohol.
Its prohibition destroys lives, enriches drug cartels and the prison industry, and costs taxpayers billions per year.
Legalize it!https://t.co/ggPXgAS0yi
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 12, 2019


Ossoff’s campaign website pledges that he will work to “legalize cannabis” and “end incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses.”

Analysis​

Given the increasing bipartisan nature of marijuana reform—coupled with the fact that five more states voted to legalize on Election Day in some form, including several conservative states—it’s not outside the realm of possibilities that a Republican-controlled Senate could meet House Democrats in the middle and advance some kind of policy change in 2021. But it’s unlikely that such reform would be comprehensive and include the restorative justice components that advocates are pushing for.

It’s possible, for example, that GOP members would move limited bills to protect states with cannabis legalization on the books from federal intervention, or to shield banks that service state-legal marijuana businesses from being penalized by regulators.

But the distinct possibility remains that even those proposals may linger in the Senate if Democrats don’t secure the chamber, as the current Republican majority has shown no willingness to move even modest marijuana reforms. And even if GOP leadership did decide to advance cannabis legislation, Loeffler has indicated she’s not amenable to minor reforms, regardless of their bipartisan nature.

What that means is that, if advocates hope to finally end cannabis prohibition in 2021, both Ossoff and Warnock would likely need to prevail in the runoffs next month. That would get leadership in place that would be more willing to advance the policy change as well as put two more individual pro-reform lawmakers in office.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who would be expected to become majority leader if Democrats take the Senate, has said he will advance cannabis legislation if given the power to set the floor agenda.

For what it’s worth, the Democratic challengers have the advantage among most Georgia voters when it comes to marijuana. Two separate 2018 polls released by 11Alive News found that 55 percent of residents back the reform.

In January of that year, 50 percent of voters said in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey that they favor legalization, compared to 46 percent who said they were opposed. An overwhelming 77 percent said in that poll that they support expanding the state’s medical cannabis program.

Previously, 66 percent of Georgia Republican primary voters said in a 2015 survey that they back medical cannabis legalization.
 

Georgia Medical Cannabis Program Finally Revamps and Expands

Georgia is giving its medical cannabis program a serious, and much-needed, makeover

Georgia’s medicinal cannabis program is about to undergo a significant expansion after the state’s regulatory board “chose six companies Saturday that will be allowed to sell the drug, a decision that will finally give registered patients a legal way to obtain medication first approved six years ago,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The decision means that thousands of patients in the Peach State will now finally be able to obtain medical marijuana oil, which has long been unavailable under the state’s medical marijuana law. This will be a significant and positive change for a state that has gone too long without a true medical program.

The move was greenlit by Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which “voted unanimously to select the six companies from 69 that had applied for licenses,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “State law limits the number of medical marijuana producers to six. Each licensee will be authorized to open five dispensaries,” the newspaper reported.

Those businesses are now permitted to sell medical marijuana oil, so long as it contains no more than five percent THC.

For Georgia’s medical cannabis patients who prefer oil consumption, it has been a long time coming. In 2019, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed Georgia’s Hope Act, or HB 324, into law.

The legislation cleared the way for “the production, manufacturing, and dispensing of low THC oil in [the] state,” and provided for “an exception to possession of certain quantities of low THC oil.”

Georgia’s Program Has Been Lagging​

Overall, implementation of Georgia’s medical marijuana law has continued to lag. As the Marijuana Policy Project noted, the “Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission accepted applications for producers in late 2020,” but did not issue the six licenses until Saturday.

The commission chose the six companies before a “packed room of about 200 people,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The newspaper said that those six companies “will have one year to begin operations after contracts are signed following potential protests from losing bidders, providing for patients suffering from conditions including seizures, terminal cancers and Parkinson’s disease.” Two companies “won licenses to cultivate medical marijuana oil on 100,000 square feet of indoor growing space,” while the other four “will be licensed to operate smaller production facilities with 50,000 square feet of growing room.”

Georgia lawmakers first passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in 2015, but the rollout has come at a glacial pace. By late 2019, the state still hadn’t appointed any members to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that, before now, “patients have obtained low THC oil illegally, either through an informal network of patients or by traveling to other states to buy it.”

The law passed six years ago allows “patients to register to possess up to 20 fluid ounces of medical cannabis oil with up to 5 percent THC,” according to the Marijuana Policy Project. The Marijuana Policy Project has expressed disappointment at the five percent cap, saying that Georgia’s statute “does not meet MPP’s definition of an effective medical cannabis law.”

Around 15,000 patients have signed up for the medical marijuana program in the state, and on the heels of this weekend’s vote, they are one step closer to finally getting their hands on the medicine. Sales for medical marijuana have been expected to begin sometime this year.

Georgia officials have continued to expand the program even during the slow implementation period. In May, Kemp signed a bill into law that will allow as many as 30 state-licensed medical cannabis businesses to to sell high CBD-cannabis.

But the unanimous vote by the commission over the weekend means that the state will, at long last, “have a functioning marijuana program,” as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution put it.
 
Another Potemkin Village, in my estimation. "Oil" as in extraction (hydrocarbon or whatever) with max THC of 5%. And cou ple with "can still only be prescribed in specific, medical circumstances" this is complete and utter BS of a med program. And I don't know how the fuck they think they can get any Dr to "prescribe" which is why programs that I am familiar with the Dr only certifies that you have an approved condition. Maryland is that way and I believe we followed examples in other states. Medical Dr will not run afoul of the DEA/FDA in prescribing a drug that is still illegal at the Fed level.

Competing Georgia medical marijuana production bills advance


Lawmakers tried to revive Georgia’s stalled medical marijuana program Tuesday, advancing different bills through the state House and Senate that aim to issue licenses for businesses to manufacture and sell the medicine.

Both measures attempt to jump-start cannabis oil production following delays since a state commission announced plans last summer to award licenses to six companies. Protests by 16 losing companies alleged the process was unfair, creating a bureaucratic deadlock that still hasn’t been resolved.

Georgia has allowed doctor-approved patients to consume cannabis oil since 2015, but there’s still no way for them to legally buy it.

“I wish I could say that we’re in a good spot, but we’re not,” said state Rep. Bill Werkheiser, a Republican from Glennville.

“If we do nothing, we’re in a bad position, and if we do something, it’s not so great either. But I think we’ve got something that will move the process forward. This issue is too important to get wrong.”

The House proposal would restart the medical marijuana licensing program from scratch, discarding tentative awards to the six companies that were announced last year. House Bill 1425 passed on a 169-5 vote.

The Senate legislation takes a different approach by setting a May 31 deadline for the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to authorize six companies that had previously applied for licenses, but not necessarily the six selected in July. Senate Bill 609 was approved on 52-0 vote.

“The sole purpose of the bill is to move the ball forward on getting medical cannabis to the folks on the registry,” said state Sen. Dean Burke, a Republican from Bainbridge.

“The process, most people would say, has been flawed.”

Neither the House nor the Senate proposals would give registered patients certainty that they’ll be able to buy cannabis oil soon.

The Senate legislation would disrupt an ongoing licensing process, creating the possibility of lawsuits from companies that could delay cannabis oil production.
The House measure doesn’t set a date by which licenses would be issued, and a bidding process would take months, followed by awards and then potential protests and lawsuits by losing companies. A new competitive bidding process would grade bids by an independent third party instead of by political appointees to the cannabis commission.

So far, there are over 20,000 registered medical marijuana patients in Georgia authorized to orally consume cannabis oil for illnesses including severe seizures, Parkinson’s disease and terminal cancers. The oil can have no more than 5% THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high.

Both bills that advanced Tuesday will next be considered by the opposite chamber. Both the House and Senate would need to agree on one bill and pass it before this year’s legislative session concludes April 4.
 
:dog:

Oops! Georgia Lawmakers Almost Voted on Delta 8 Bill by Accident

The bill made it all the way to the floor of the Georgia Senate before it was killed.

Lawmakers in Georgia learned a valuable civic lesson earlier this month: always know what you are voting on.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details on an amusing story out of the Peach State General Assembly, where cannabis reform has been a hot topic during this year’s legislative session.

It all started with a bipartisan bill designed to “help cannabis farmers with a bill allowing more hemp products in a state where marijuana remains illegal” brought by what the newspaper described as an “unlikely Senate duo — a conservative South Georgia farmer running for higher office and a liberal Atlanta preacher”: Republican state Sen. Tyler Harper and his Democratic colleague, state Sen. Kim Jackson.

The bill, per the Journal-Constitution, “started as a proposal to allow hemp farming by Georgians who are currently barred because they had been convicted of a felony,” and would have “allowed hemp farming licenses to be issued to individuals as long as they haven’t been convicted of a felony related to a federally controlled substance within the previous 10 years.”

But after that bill cleared a state Senate committee, Harper brought forward a substitute bill that included the following language: “Hemp products shall not be considered controlled substances due to the presence of hemp or hemp derived cannabinoids.”

That, as the newspaper put it, would have effectively legalized Delta 8 THC, a compound that gives some users a high similar to standard cannabis and has risen in popularity in the United States after Congress legalized industrial hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill.

The bill made it out of committee and onto the floor of the Georgia state Senate earlier this month before some concerned lawmakers wised up to what was in play and returned the legislation to the committee.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that “Agriculture Chairman Larry Walker said he had voted for it in the Rules Committee ‘not understanding everything that’s in the bill.’”

“That’s on me. It slipped by me,” said Walker, as quoted by the newspaper.

What the mishap does underscore is just how focused Georgia lawmakers have been on cannabis-related bills as of late –– specifically the state’s troubled medical cannabis program.

Georgia legalized medical cannabis treatment in 2015, but only in the form of THC oil. Worse yet, as the Journal-Constitution put it last month, “state law has allowed registered patients in Georgia to use medical marijuana oil, but they still have no legal way to buy it here.” That’s been a massive source of frustration for the roughly thousands of patients currently registered in the program, who have been forced to obtain cannabis products in other states or via the illicit market.

A bill brought forward in February seeks to significantly open up the program, including upping the number of medical cannabis licenses in the state from six to 22. After awarding the licenses by late June, the bill would also set off a countdown of sorts, giving the newly licensed businesses one year to start.

The first six companies were only selected last July, six years after medical cannabis was legalized in the state. And the state first started accepting applications from would-be cannabis manufacturers in late 2020.

This month, lawmakers in the Georgia state Senate and House have considered a series of bills that would give a shot in the arm to the oft-delayed program, including legislation intended to re-start the licensing process.

“The sole purpose of the bill is to move the ball forward on getting medical cannabis to the folks on the registry,” state Sen. Dean Burke said regarding the bills. “The process, most people would say, has been flawed.”
 
I schooled myself with this one, simply had not been aware of THC Delta 8.

#############################

 
"The results of the vote don’t immediately change state law, but it stands to reason that the strong showing in favor of legalization underscores to elected officials that there is support for the reform, at least among those who vote in the Democratic primary."

Ah, to my mind this is a nothing burger. First, its just a Dem party primary and IME primary voters tend to be party stalwarts and a small subset of voters overall. Two, does anybody actually think our elected "leaders" actually think they have to represent the will of the voters anymore. I can show many examples, including referendums like in N Dakota, where these politicians actively thwarted the voter's will. I mean, with 68% of voters (or pick your poll results...they are all pro-legalization by a large majority) if our elected office holders really cared about what the electorate is saying then we would have Fed legalization. But no, that's not the case, is it?


Georgia Voters Approve Marijuana Legalization Ballot Question


Georgia voters have sent a marijuana message to state lawmakers, approving a ballot measure on Tuesday that expresses their support for adult-use cannabis legalization.


State Democratic party leadership placed nine non-binding advisory questions on the primary election ballot to help inform the legislature on where Georgians stand on various issues, including legalization.


The marijuana measure was leading by a strong margin of 80 percent to 20 percent on Wednesday afternoon, with more than 99 percent of counties having completely reported their votes—accounting for a total of 660,371 ballots counted.


Here’s the language of the ballot question voters were asked:


“Should marijuana be legalized, taxed and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older, with proceeds going towards education, infrastructure and health care programs?”


The results of the vote don’t immediately change state law, but it stands to reason that the strong showing in favor of legalization underscores to elected officials that there is support for the reform, at least among those who vote in the Democratic primary.


Georgia has open primaries, meaning that any voter was able to fill out the Democratic ballot on Election Day regardless of their party affiliation.


Other questions on the Democratic ballot asked about student loan forgiveness, paid parental leave, free preschool, healthcare and renewable energy. The Republican ballot, meanwhile, didn’t have a cannabis question but it did give people a chance to weigh in on a Mexican border wall, the right of transgender people to participate in sports and social media censorship.


Meanwhile, reforms to the Georgia’s limited medical cannabis program advanced in both chambers this session but fell short of final passage.


Back in 2018, South Carolina Democratic primary voters were similarly asked to share their stance on medical cannabis legalization at the ballot. More than 80 percent responded that they support enacting a policy change to let patients access marijuana.


Outside of the ballot process, Minnesota House lawmakers have surveyed residents about adult-use legalization as part of the State Fair Poll. Most recently in 2021, 58 percent of respondents said they back the reform. That was a modest increase compared to the chamber’s 2019 survey, which showed 56 percent support.


Back in Georgia, there has been some movement on psychedelics policy in the state, with lawmakers advancing a bipartisan resolution that calls for the formation of a House study committee to investigate the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin and make recommendations for reforms.


Senate Democrats in the state tried to enact a bill in 2020 that included provisions to decriminalize low-level cannabis possession, but it did not advance.
 

Georgia Medical Marijuana Production at a Standstill


"Still no indication at this point that we're gonna have the licenses issued and granted anytime in the near future, unfortunately," says Allen Peake​

MILLEDGEVILLE - This time last year, there were hopes that medical cannabis production and distribution offices would be opening in several spots in Central Georgia and around the state, like the one on Central State Hospital grounds in Milledgeville.
Since then, complaints about the selection process and legal threats to the state threw off the whole schedule.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha explains where we stand now. "We're obviously disappointed that this delay is costing jobs and earnings not made this year,” says Walter Reynolds, interim executive director of the Central State Hospital Redevelopment Authority.
Reynolds says they sold a 100,000 square foot building on their property. The licensees for a new medical cannabis processing plant planned to set up there, bringing over 100 jobs.


Now, they're in limbo. "Say that licenses were approved tomorrow. I estimate that it would probably take no less than six to eight months to turn around the facility and make it ready for production,” Reynolds explains. He says it's just a waiting game now.
"Extensive capital has been invested and probably expended to some degree on the potential project, and I'm sure that they're just as eager as the rest of us for this to come to fruition,” Reynolds says.
Allen Peake is a former Republican state representative. He says, "Still no indication at this point that we're going to have the licenses issued and granted anytime in the near future, unfortunately.”
He says the reasons behind the delay in medical cannabis production are because of lawsuits.
The state gave out only six permits for medical cannabis processors last year. Peake says that anyone was welcome to apply, and almost 60-70 groups did, including his own company Cannatol, which provides cannabis oil to those with debilitating illnesses.
He says that 20 groups who weren’t awarded the cultivation licenses got left out sued, complaining about a lack of fairness and transparency.
“We hadn't even gotten to step one yet of granting the licenses, and so that's what's been really painful to watch through this entire process,” he explains. Peake says that his company also did not receive a license, but chose not to be a part of the lawsuit because he knew that it would slow down the approval of these permits.

He says he’s been fighting for the legalization of medical marijuana since 2015, and says delays cause suffering.
"Whether it's the grandfather with Alzheimer's, or the soccer mom with breast cancer, while it's frustrating for me as an advocate, it's even more frustrating for Georgia citizens who continue to live with pain on a daily basis and don't have the opportunity to improve their quality of life,” he explains.
Peake says he has hopes that change is coming soon as Governor Brian Kemp put a new person in charge of the board over the process.
He also budgeted $150,000 to speed up the court hearings, but for now, everything remains on hold.
 
I'm throwing the bullshit flag on this one. For those who don't know, "low THC oil" is CBD oil withi 5% or less THC.

Big fucking deal...and it took them years to do even this Potemkin Village of a med program.

This is nothing but virtue signalling by our professional (and cowardly always) professional political class. CBD oil can be obtained in many legal ways, including in fucking Georgia, and a 5% OR LESS oil is basically....wait for it....CBD oil.

Georgia Issues First Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licenses


“This is a milestone for the commission, and certainly for the certified patients who will be able to legally obtain medical cannabis very soon. They’ve waited a long time for this relief.”

By Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder

After years of waiting, thousands of patients on Georgia’s medical cannabis registry may soon be able to legally receive their medicine.

On Thursday, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission granted five dispensing licenses to two companies to begin selling low-THC oil to patients on the list.

Trulieve Georgia submitted three applications for facilities in Marietta, Pooler and Macon, and Botanical Sciences LLC submitted for facilities in Pooler and Marietta.

With the approval, the companies will have 120 days to open their doors.


“This is a milestone for the commission, and certainly for the certified patients who will be able to legally obtain medical cannabis very soon,” said Commission Chair Sidney Johnson. “They’ve waited a long time for this relief. The initial law was passed in 2015. It took four years to get legislation creating the commission, and now, four years later, we have created the regulatory infrastructure and are not far off from the day when licensees will open their doors for patients.”

Of the more than 27,000 patients on the list, metro Atlanta counties account for the largest portion. Cobb and Fulton counties are home to between 2,000 and 3,000 patients each, according to the commission. Bibb County has between 500 and 750 patients, and Chatham County has between 250 and 500.

Each company can apply for up to six dispensing licenses.

“We can anticipate that future locations will continue to reach even more patients as our licensees continue to open additional locations,” said commission Executive Director Andrew Turnage.

Once the facilities open, registered patients or their caregivers can check the commission’s website to verify their licenses. To get their medicine, they will need to bring their Department of Public Health-issued patient registry cards along with a photo ID.

Spots on the registry are only open to people with serious diagnoses including end-stage cancer, Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. The program does not allow for recreational forms of marijuana.

The state Legislature legalized low-THC medical cannabis oil in 2015, but the law did not allow a way for patients to legally receive the drug.

The approval may mark the start of relief for Georgia’s patients, but some of the other companies that applied for licenses to grow the product in Georgia say the process for deciding who would get the licenses was unfair. The state also granted a different tier of licenses to four smaller growers, whose court cases are continuing.

This year, lawmakers considered but did not pass legislation aimed at opening up that process and expand the number of growers.
 

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