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The Past Present & Future of Cannabis in Georgia

Georgia C.A.R.E. Project director James Bell was the guest speaker at the South Forsyth Rotary Club August 10, 2016.

Bell talked about how cannabis/hemp became “marijuana” and how the current laws have a negative impact on the citizens of Georgia.

“It’s always a pleasure to speak to the public about cannabis”, Bell said. “If we’re talking we’re winning. We can change hearts and minds and change the laws we live under. We are not criminals and should not be treated as such.”

Georgia C.A.R.E. Project offers speakers to civic groups, college campuses, and to the media.

DEA refuses to reschedule marijuana for medicine

Georgia C.A.R.E Project – James Bell – supports removal of cannabis from the controlled substance scheduling list. This week the DEA rerfuse to list cannabis (marijuana) as a medicine.

“There are still some who believe the earth is flat. There is nothing we can do about that but remove them from their positions and replace them with rational people”, James Bell said.

Bell said President Obama should use executive powers to acknowledged cannabis as a medicine.

Here is the news release from the DEA:

DEA Announces Actions Related to Marijuana and Industrial Hemp

AUG 11 (WASHINGTON) – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced several marijuana- related actions, including actions regarding scientific research and scheduling of marijuana, as well as principles on the cultivation of industrial hemp under the Agricultural Act of 2014.

DEA Publishes Responses to Two Pending Petitions to Reschedule Marijuana
DEA has denied two petitions to reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In response to the petitions, DEA requested a scientific and medical evaluation and scheduling recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in consultation with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Based on the legal standards in the CSA, marijuana remains a schedule I controlled substance because it does not meet the criteria for currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, there is a lack of accepted safety for its use under medical supervision, and it has a high potential for abuse.

In his letter to the petitioners, DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg offered a detailed response outlining the factual and legal basis for the denial of the petitions.

The full responses to the petitions can be found in the Federal Register.

The DEA and the FDA continue to believe that scientifically valid and well-controlled clinical trials conducted under investigational new drug (IND) applications are the most appropriate way to conduct research on the medicinal uses of marijuana. Furthermore, DEA and FDA believe that the drug approval process is the most appropriate way to assess whether a product derived from marijuana or its constituents is safe and effective and has an accepted medical use. This pathway allows the FDA the important ability to determine whether a product meets the FDA criteria for safety and effectiveness for approval.

Increasing the Number of Authorized Marijuana Manufacturers Supplying Researchers

DEA announced a policy change designed to foster research by expanding the number of DEA- registered marijuana manufacturers. This change should provide researchers with a more varied and robust supply of marijuana. At present, there is only one entity authorized to produce marijuana to supply researchers in the United States: the University of Mississippi, operating under a contract with NIDA. Consistent with the CSA and U.S. treaty obligations, DEA’s new policy will allow additional entities to apply to become registered with DEA so that they may grow and distribute marijuana for FDA-authorized research purposes.

This change illustrates DEA’s commitment to working together with the FDA and NIDA to facilitate research concerning marijuana and its components. DEA currently has 350 individuals registered to conduct research on marijuana and its components. Notably, DEA has approved
every application for registration submitted by researchers seeking to use NIDA-supplied marijuana to conduct research that HHS determined to be scientifically meritorious.

Statement of Principles Concerning Industrial Hemp and the Agricultural Act of 2014

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in consultation with DEA and the FDA, also released a statement of principles concerning provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2014 relating to the cultivation of industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is a low-concentration THC variety of the cannabis plant intended to be used for industrial purposes (e.g., fiber and seed). This statement of principles is intended to inform the public, including institutions of higher education and State departments of agriculture, how Federal law applies to activities associated with industrial hemp that is grown and cultivated in accordance with Section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014.

This statement of principles outlines the legalized growing and cultivating of industrial hemp for research purposes under certain conditions, such as in states where growth and cultivation are legal under state law. The 2014 Act did not remove industrial hemp from the list of controlled substances and, with certain limited exceptions, the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the CSA continue to apply to industrial hemp-related activities. The statement of principles addresses questions including the extent to which private parties may grow industrial hemp as part of an agricultural pilot program, the circumstances under which the sale of hemp products is permitted, and other related topics.

Clarkston GA No Marijuana Arrest $75 Fine

Georgia C.A.R.E. would like to thank the City of Clarkston for passing a no arrest ordinance for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana (cannabis). The new ordinance allows for a $75 fine.

From the ordinance: City of Clarkston law enforcement officers are hereby encouraged by the City Council to issue citations for violation of City Code to individuals possessing one ounce or less of marijuana rather than arresting such individuals, when possession of marijuana is the sole non-traffic offense by the individual observed by the officer.

This move makes Clarkston the first city in Georgia to “decriminalize” cannabis possession. Many counties and city have enacted local marijuana ordinances but they all allow for confinement of up to 6 months.

James Bell director of Georgia C.A.R.E. Project said he is happy to see this city take a lead role in acknowledging the harm marijuana laws have on citizens.

“We are proud to have participated in this reform. This ordinance will have a ripple effect across the state of Georgia”, Bell said. “We plan to take this issue to the cities with a project called “City by City Initiative”. We know that a majority of the people of Georgia support some type of reform and no longer want to see people put in jail or prison for cannabis.”

Georgia C.A.R.E. affiliate Athens C.A.R.E., a student led organization, has been engaged in Athens to educate the local lawmakers about the harm of prohibition.

Clarkston City Mayor Edward Terry said he was happy to announce that the amendment lowered the standard fine amount.

“In order to be a leader you have to go first, so Clarkston is going first,” he said. “We will be the first city to set a minimum fine for possession of one once of marijuana.”

11 Alive offered this report:

With the new rules, a person who possessed one ounce or less of the drug would only receive a fine of $75 with no arrest. Clarkston’s desire for less stringent marijuana laws has been well-documented. Many city council members have been vocal about changing the laws surrounding the drugs.

Councilman Dean Moore told 11Alive’s Jeremy Campbell in April that he believed being arrested for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana would be damaging.