The push to reform marijuana laws is spreading throughout America. The public debate has reached Georgia thanks to various advocacy groups and a few lawmakers who have pushed the marijuana debate to the forefront of Georgia politics.
I applaud the efforts of State Rep. Allen Peake and State Sen. Curt Thompson for filing marijuana legislation that has sparked a much-needed discussion on how best Georgia should deal with marijuana.
Rep. Peake wants very limited medical legislation (House Bill 1) while Sen. Thompson wants a more comprehensive law (Senate Bill 7), which would allow for in-state cultivation and dispensing of various forms of cannabis. SB 7 is the better approach to getting medicine to the masses.
We know public attitudes have changed dramatically over the past decade. A majority of voters support some form of marijuana decriminalization and more than 80 percent of voters want medical cannabis and, and there are many lawmakers that have shown strong support. With a stroke of a pen, patients and parents of seriously ill children could be receiving cannabis in just months, not years.
So why has medical marijuana legislation stalled in Georgia? I quote Sen. Renee Unterman, “These parents don’t understand how the General Assembly works but this building is nothing but politics,” she said after killing a medical marijuana bill in the final minutes of the 2014 session.
This year, Gov. Nathan Deal has become the obstructionist by forcing Rep. Peake to scrap plans to cultivate cannabis in-state and allow legal access. Instead, they have conjured up an alleged “immunity” bill that forces parents and caregivers to try to acquire cannabis extracts from other states and then smuggle it back to Georgia, risking arrests and violation of other states’ and federal laws.
Peake has gone as far as saying that civil disobedience is in order and will risk going to prison to get the medicine to the children. Admirable perhaps, but foolish considering no one needs to be put at risk to get a natural medicine to children and adults who may benefit.
Why would a lawmaker be willing to take a stand against the federal government and risk prison time, but not stand up against the governor of his own state? Rep. Peake should have followed through with the proposed legislation and allowed the General Assembly to vote. If Gov. Deal rejects it, he has the power to veto.
It is shameful that the leadership of Georgia has forced parents to parade their children in front of the media like a circus and beg for a natural medicine that may improve the child’s quality of life, if not save their lives.
We should get behind legislation like SB 7 that allows in-state cultivation, whole plant therapeutics and doctors to determine how best cannabis should be used as medicine.
Let’s stop kicking the can down the road and pass legislation that does not create an illicit market, protects public safety, provides medicine to those in need and does not criminalize medical patients.
Gov. Deal — have mercy!
