Georgia: Governor, Commission Against In-State Growing

[Robert Celt]

The Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis has voted against recommending in-state cultivation of marijuana to produce the low-THC that is now legal to possess in Georgia by those with certain medical conditions.
And Gov. Nathan Deal, who has expressed skepticism about in-state growing of medical marijuana throughout the entire discussion, has come out against it again.

But State Rep. Allen Peake, the Macon representative who two years ago began a push to allow Georgians access to marijuana-derived cannabidiol, has vowed to move forward with a bill that would allow for a strictly-regulated in-state growing program.

A few days before Christmas, Peake announced he would step down as one of Gov. Deal's "floor leaders." Peake was named a floor leader earlier this year, and would have begun serving in the position in the 2016 Georgia General Assembly session. The session begins Jan. 11.

And in a radio interview Dec. 21, he announced that, despite the commission vote and the governor's opposition, he plans to introduce a bill that would allow for production of the oil in Georgia, under a system similar to what is used in Minnesota.

In Minnesota, there are only two entities licensed to grow and produce the oil. A pharmacist is responsible for dispensing the medicine, and there is a "seed to seal" tracking system, Peake said.

"I think we will be able to provide a bill that will address all the concerns Gov. Deal has, and the concerns law enforcement has," Peake said on WABE's "Closer Look" radio program.

"This is not somebody in the backyard growing marijuana and turning it into oil. This is a lab facility that is producing a lab-tested product that is bringing incredible benefits to hurting citizens. It's a totally different animal than what is going on in Colorado."

Twenty-three states have laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, while 17 more, including Georgia, have laws that allow use of cannabidiol (CBD).

"We are not reinventing the wheel here. This has been done in other states successfully," Peake told WABE.

There is a lot of pushback from law enforcement and judicial agencies, as well as some legislators and Gov. Deal. Peake said he thinks a lot of that is because of worries that this is a "slippery slope" that will lead to full legalization of marijuana.

"I don't want us to go down that path either. As long as I'm around I will fight that, but for hurting Georgians who have debilitating illness where there is clear evidence that medical cannabis would provide them some relief — why would we not do it?" Peake asked.

"To me, it's almost our moral responsibility to do this."

Cowetan Stacey Wilson has suffered with seizures since she was 4 years old. Over the last few years, they have gotten worse. She's upset about the decision by the commission and the governor

Law enforcement and judicial representatives on the commission have expressed concerns about not being able to regulate or control the growth of the marijuana, and that the legal growing could be used to mask growing of high-THC varieties for recreational use.

Moore doesn't think those arguments hold much weight.

"If somebody wants to get high and smoke some weed, they can do it. Why would they go to the trouble?," of trying to do it through the CBD law, she asked.

The two bottles of CBD oil she has been able to use — which produced amazing results — have a retail cost of $160. She can't afford to use the oil regularly.

"I can go buy it on the street corner cheaper, but it does not work as well medically, and it does not do what I need it to do. They've got it in their head that this is just some lame brain excuse for stoners to be able to get legally high," Wilson said. "Somebody wouldn't go through this much trouble and this much fight if this was just because we could get high.

"If a person wants to get high, they're going to get high. But if a person wants it for medicine, getting high isn't going to do the trick," Wilson said. "And if a person wants to get high, the oil isn't going to do the trick."

Wilson does worry that, even when the oil can be produced in Georgia, she still won't be able to afford it.

"I'm hoping and praying that it will bring the cost down," she said of in-state growing. She also hopes that organizations will pop up to provide patient assistant — because insurance doesn't cover CBD oil.

Years of seizures have taken a serious toll on Wilson's body. Starting a few years ago, she began to have "drop" seizures that come on without warning and cause her to fall. She's broken several teeth, and now has herniated discs, chronic arthritis and bone spurs and her neck and shoulders — all from seizures. She takes a lot of opioid pain medicine. "I don't want to be hooked on that stuff," she said. "I hate taking them."

She'd like to see politicians "get out of the way" so that she can stop taking pharmaceutical drugs and "do something that really helps in a positive way."

News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Georgia: Governor, Commission Against In-State Growing
Author: Sarah Fay Campbell
Contact: The Newman Times Herald
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Website: The Newman Times Herald

 

[420 Warrior]

Law enforcement and judicial representatives on the commission have expressed concerns about not being able to regulate or control the growth of the marijuana, and that the legal growing could be used to mask growing of high-THC varieties for recreational use.

Like I said before, I still want to know why law enforcement is on any commission here? Why do law enforcement agencies have any say in law making when they're being paid to enforce existing laws? I really want to see the people of this state start asking this question and forcing law enforcement out of the political arena because they don't belong there unless some of them want to run for office and actually get the votes to win, Then and only then should they have law making rights, but until then, that's not their job!

She’d like to see politicians “get out of the way” so that she can stop taking pharmaceutical drugs and “do something that really helps in a positive way."

And I'd like to see our Georgia politicians getting put out of office all together and that's what it's going to take to get any relief or compassion in this state. We the voters here in Georgia are going to have to clean house and start again with a clean slate if we're going to EVER see the changes we want, period! Our existing government officials will NEVER budge on this or any kind of legalized Cannabis legislation and people will always suffer until we vote for the changes we want.

 

[Bobby Blunt]

I couldn't agree with you more, a lot of the states in the south have been ran and controlled for decades by closed minded people who don't have the common sense of a brick, these are the same type of people who in the 50's said that by their young people who listened to that new music called Rock N Roll would cause the complete collapse of their culture, in the 60's they said that integration would destroy America, in the 70's they said that by giving a woman the right to chose what she can do with her body by using contraception or having an abortion if she chooses would ruin the things that Americans hold sacred but these same people wanted to give the financial keys to this country over to the wolves of Wall Street in 2008 in a so called bail out. It was the American people who flooded the Senate and Congress with emails that said, hell no, no bail out for the crooks who tried to sink us, and it will be the American people who will vote out those politicians who pander to lobbyist and not the will of the people.

 

[420 Warrior]

I couldn't agree with you more, a lot of the states in the south have been ran and controlled for decades by closed minded people who don't have the common sense of a brick, these are the same type of people who in the 50's said that by their young people who listened to that new music called Rock N Roll would cause the complete collapse of their culture, in the 60's they said that integration would destroy America, in the 70's they said that by giving a woman the right to chose what she can do with her body by using contraception or having an abortion if she chooses would ruin the things that Americans hold sacred but these same people wanted to give the financial keys to this country over to the wolves of Wall Street in 2008 in a so called bail out. It was the American people who flooded the Senate and Congress with emails that said, hell no, no bail out for the crooks who tried to sink us, and it will be the American people who will vote out those politicians who pander to lobbyist and not the will of the people.

Thank you Bobby B, well said my friend.

I've said this before but I'll say it here as well, that most progressive things in this country get there start out west, then trickle over to the northeast and then trickle down to the southeast, it's a progression that most people don't give much thought about but I have noticed it my entire life. People out west just tend to be more free thinkers and risk takers than the rest of the country for some reason and the rest of the country tends to follow their lead. I remember when skateboarding and BMX was mainly done by kids in California but it spread like a wildfire across the country. I witnessed this first hand because my family and I spent most of 1983 in Cali and all the kids were doing tricks on their boards and their bikes and when we came back home to GA, my friends thought I was crazy when I was telling them about it but not long after that, people here started catching on here as well. The same happened with low riders and choppers and street rods and grunge rock and tons of other things I've seen happen over the years and Cannabis is playing out the exact same way.

The only thing I want to see is the progression of Cannabis reform moving at a much faster clip than it is currently, because this time it's not just X games or some other radical sport, music or vehicle trend, this time it's about peoples very lives, this is about getting much needed medicine to people, this is about treatment for children suffering from seizures and people suffering in pain and nausea from cancer treatment and this is also about people who sit rotting away needlessly in prison, often times sick themselves and were only trying to self medicate, or just plain old non violent people with children that suffer without them in their lives or any number of horrible scenarios you can think of caused directly by the war on our beloved Cannabis plant. This is about civil liberty to choose how we live our lives and not have our lives dictated for us the way our forefathers intended when they rote the constitution. And don't even get me started on all the good Hemp could do to change the world we live in. This is about our politicians acting on behalf of the will of the people and the planet and not on behalf of their pocket books and wallets.