James Bell, director of Georgia C.A.R.E. Project said he supports full plant medicine and was quoted in a recent article concerning proposed legislation being considered for the 2015 legislative session.  Georgia Senate Bill 7 – 2015

Here is what Bell had to say:

Peake also emphasized that cannabis oil contains a relatively low percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, the active psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

But some say that in trying to get conservatives to embrace some form of medical marijuana legislation, Peake has distorted the science by playing down the medical potential of THC.

“I think we have maybe one opportunity to get [medical marijuana legislation] right,” said James Bell, the director of the Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education, or CARE, which supports (Sen. Curt) Thompson’s bill.

Georgia Senate Bill 7 – 2015

“When Allen Peake talks about ‘[cannabis oil] won’t get you high,’ my point is ‘So what if it gets you high?’” he said.

“They’re already on…drugs I can’t even pronounce. One parent said his six-year-old was going into puberty; another said that his child’s gums were growing over his teeth…and Allen Peake is worried about some child feeling euphoric…They need to get over it.”

Bell accused GW Pharmaceuticals, which makes Epidiolex, a cannabis oil treatment currently in the clinical trial process, of lobbying to essentially limit legalization to their product when the whole plant could be used to treat a wider array of medical conditions.

Bell said he hoped a compromise bill would eventually emerge from committee.

The Covington News is a community based tri-weekly newspaper that serves the citizens of Newton County, Georgia as it has since its inception in 1865. The News has won a myriad of awards for the wide-ranging coverage it provides its readers. As the legal organ of the county, The News is the source of local information for Newton residents.

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During the 2015 legislative session, we will have the opportunity to provide our doctors with an additional tool, by legalizing marijuana for medical use. This summer, a joint study committee examined the options for legalizing marijuana, and already, three bipartisan bills have been filed.

I have authored SB 7, which would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana of up to two ounces for specific debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, Chrone’s Disease, Alzheimer’s and the chronic or debilitating condition that cause Cachexia (wasting syndrome), severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, and seizures/muscle spasms from epilepsy or multiple sclerosis.

SB 7 also includes a number of common-sense limitations and guardrails for dispensing the drug. Marijuana, like any other prescription drug, would be regulated.

To advance the conversation of marijuana use, I have also authored SR 6, a measure that would legalize, regulate and tax the sale of retail marijuana through licensed establishments. The tax collections would be constitutionally earmarked for education and transportation infrastructure. The resolution, if passed, would allow for a referendum in 2016 on amending the state Constitution to allow full legalization of marijuana, including recreational use.

If approved by voters, retail marijuana would co-exist with, not replace, medical marijuana. SR 6 includes lengthy requirements about licensing facilities, excise taxes and fees, and the creation of a state authority to regulate the sales.

Our discussions of marijuana in Georgia — in its many forms — have been largely limited to children’s health. While I adamantly support cannabis oil treatments for children with severe medical problems, I believe physicians should have the ability to care for all of their patients regardless of age, socio-economic status or where they live. SB 6 would provide doctors another tool for care and treatment, which we have learned varies depending on the nature of the illness.

While injectable cannabidiol is a wonderful treatment for certain illnesses, it is not a complete medical package. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is also the therapeutic chemical that treats glaucoma, cancer, HIV/AIDS, wasting diseases and numerous other conditions. Many of these conditions either do not have other available treatments on the market, or the available treatments have significant side effects. Failure to pass legislation that permits THC-containing treatments and all necessary forms of delivery would leave patients out in the cold. It is critical we pass legislation that allows for all medically sound uses of medical marijuana.

SR 6 puts the discussion of retail marijuana regulation and taxation on the table. We have an opportunity in Georgia to regulate sales and make available another revenue stream without raising existing taxes. Several states have approved this option, and the revenue generated is so large, tax rebates to citizens are being considered.

Legalizing and regulating marijuana also allows us to reduce the strain on our public safety system and jails. In 2010, for example, marijuana possession arrests accounted for over 65 percent of drug arrests in Georgia. There were over 32,000 arrests for marijuana possession in that year alone. Legalizing and regulating marijuana would free up law enforcement to focus on more dangerous drugs and save taxpayers money by significantly reducing the number of people in our state’s prisons and jails.

Georgians will be hearing a great deal about these issues in the coming months, and citizens deserve a full exploration and debate by their elected officials. The legislation I have authored is in no way meant to supplant other legislation; it is meant to augment the discussion. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to advance the discussion of marijuana use and regulation and finding the best possible solution for Georgians.

The post Georgia Sen. Curt Thompson On Marijuana Benefits appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

WHITFIELD COUNTY, GA (WRCB) – Voters in Whitfield County say yes to legalization.  It was a question in a democratic straw poll.  Voters were asked, should Georgia legalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for adults 21 and older? On their ballot it’s a non-binding question  and 64-percent of voters think it should be legal.

Georgia democrats included the legalization question on the ballot to get people out to vote.  Straw polls also serve to gauge voters opinion.

Under current Georgia law, less than an ounce of cannabis can get you up to one year in prison, anything more than that and you could spend up to 10 years behind bars.

The post Democrat Voters in Whitfield County GA say yes to legalization appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

Personally speaking, I believe all drugs should be legal. People should have the right to do with their bodies what they choose, so long as it does not interfere with the liberties and freedoms of those around them.

It is a misconception that if drugs were legal, use would increase. On the contrary. It simply means that it would put a financial dent in the prison industrial complex. There would be fewer deaths over drug related crimes and the illicit drug trade would grind to a halt.

However, realistically speaking, it is not likely all drugs will be made legal. That being said, to continue the asinine policy of keeping medical hemp out reach for the ill is unconscionable. Those truly in the know realize it is merely to protect the wealth of drug manufacturers and impose the high horse morality of the Christian Right and their sense of righteousness upon others. Corporate greed over American Welfare must cease and individual Liberty must become paramount as it once was.

Also, hemp has a hundred and two uses, but I won’t go into that here. Suffice it to say, anything that competes cheaply is often opposed by big industry. Can you say pulp wood industry? Lastly, if we do nothing else, the war on Blacks and other minorities (formerly called War on Drugs) must be put to rest.

Blacks, comprising 12% of the population account for 38% of the drug related arrests, 59% of those in state prison for a drug offense and make up more than 40% of our prison population.

That in itself is insidious to say the least. The only people victimized by this policy are Blacks, other minorities and poor Whites. No one should ever be sent to prison or have their lives ruined over what they put in their bodies or for addictive behavior. The rich aren’t. If Congress can have their booze, let the rest have their weed.

The post Derrick Grayson – Georgia U.S. Senate Candidate Says YES to Marijuana appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

I tend to be a Libertarian on issues like this.  I do think it would have to be a carefully crafted piece of legislation with respect to medical marijuana to ensure that there are no unforeseen consequences.   As a general matter, if we can structure something that we think is viable, I would have no problem with it.  With respect to the research, I would need to know more.  My assumption is that there has been a giant amount of research done already, since the eighties, and I would want to know what the costs and benefits would be toward funding additional research.  One of the things you will find about me as an elected official, and hopefully as Governor, I will listen to facts and will look at data and will make decisions based on that and not based on rigid ideology.

The post Sen. Jason Carter on Marijuana as Medicine appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

The post NORML Georgia Marijuana Poll 62% say yes appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

National polls show 58 percent now support legalizing and 80 percent indicate support for medicinal marijuana.

This shift in attitude toward cannabis comes after twenty states and the District of Columbia enacted medical marijuana laws and Colorado and Washington voted to legalize.

But what about Georgia? Will Georgia follow suit and reform its harsh laws? Georgia activists say yes, but it will take considerable work to educate the legislature and motivate the public to get more involved. One thing is certain, the movement to reform these laws in Georgia is growing. The legislature will address this issue at some point.

The General Assembly did address the medical marijuana issue in the past. In 1980 Georgia was one of the first states to pass a medical marijuana research act. The law allowed the use of marijuana for cancer therapy and glaucoma. But smoking the federal government’s harsh “ditch weed” was intolerable for many and the pharmaceutical form of THC was more palatable. The program is no longer active. Georgia has lost more than 30 years of medical research and we could have been a pioneer in cannabis therapeutics.

A major factor in the increase in public support for cannabis was the documentary “Weed” by the renowned surgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta. This ground breaking exposé opened the eyes and hearts of millions of viewers to the miracle medicine called cannabis.

On the criminal justice front Georgia has enacted certain law reform measures in an attempt to reduce the number of non-violent offenders in the prison system but has ignored the issue of marijuana laws reform.

Georgia has some of the most Draconian marijuana laws in the nation with penalties up to ten year in prison for more than one ounce. With nearly 30,000 arrests each year the harm done to our citizens by these laws far exceed any real or perceived harm cause by marijuana.

It’s time Georgia treats marijuana more like wine than plutonium. Not only is marijuana prohibition a civil rights issue, it’s also a money issue – tax dollars. The money we spend on arrest, prosecution and incarceration for a commodity that is known to be far safer than alcohol and tobacco, is money that could be redirected to prevent and enforce real crimes against people.

As an activist I am encouraged by the support I am seeing from the public and even legislators are educating themselves about the topic and are seeking alternative policies.

We can kick start the process by having compassion for the seriously ill and allow them access to a relatively safe medicine that has proven to offer relief from suffering. With the legal states engaged in cannabis therapeutics and research, we have just begun to understand what this plant has to offer.

We have drafted legislation and are seeking support. We encourage the citizens to contact their legislator and begin a dialog on this issue.

With marijuana, Georgia should apply its motto – “Wisdom – Justice – Moderation”.

The post AJC Editorial “Treat Weed Like Wine” by James Bell appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

Atlanta GA: June 6, 2013 – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has just released a sobering report on the impact of marijuana prohibition and concluded the policy of arresting citizens for possession has been a huge failure.  Furthermore, the ACLU has called for an end to marijuana prohibition.

The report, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White”, is the first of its kind. They reviewed a decade of data on marijuana arrests and found that between 2001 and 2010, there were over 8 million marijuana arrests in the United States, 88% of which were for possession. Marijuana arrests have increased between 2001 and 2010 and now account for over half (52%) of all drug arrests in the United States, and marijuana possession arrests account for nearly half (46%) of all drug arrests. In 2010, there was one marijuana arrest every 37 seconds, and states spent combined over $3.6 billion enforcing marijuana possession laws. The report also finds that, on average, a Black person is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, even though Blacks and whites use marijuana at similar rates.

Not only has prohibition caused racial injustice, it has cost taxpayers billions of dollars that could have been used to truly address the issues of drug abuse and crime.http://www.aclu.org/billions-dollars-wasted-racially-biased-arrests

Georgia CARE (Campaign for Access, Reform & Education) is working to reform Georgia’s draconian marijuana laws and has called on the Georgia General Assembly to introduce legislation allowing medical use of marijuana as well as decriminalization measures.

“The report confirms what advocates for reform have been saying for decades. Marijuana law enforcement does more harm than the plant itself”, said James Bell director of Georgia CARE.  “We can no longer ignore the impact of prohibition. We must change these laws and stop arresting otherwise law abiding citizens. “

Georgia CARE will continue building a reform coalition and a lobbying campaign this summer and plans to introduce reform legislation in the 2014 legislative session.

The post News Release: Marijuana Prohibition A Failure – ACLU Report Confirms appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

James Bell – director of Georgia CARE said that state officials have acknowledged we can not afford to lock up non-violent offends for low level crimes. While Bell applauds the recent reform, he said the legislation falls short on how to deal with those who use marijuana.

“We feel the state should establish and decriminalize personal use amounts and remove prison time for simple possession and use”, Bell said. “If we all agree we can’t lock away marijuana users in prison why have laws on the books that can incarcerate citizens for up to ten years”, Bell asked.

Georgia CARE will work with the state of Georgia in establishing reform legislation that reduces the harm marijuana laws causes its citizens. Marijuana laws are antiquated and draconian and must be reformed, Bell said.

As a start Georgia CARE would like to see the felony amounts moved up to 2 or 4 ounces. Currently possession of more than one ounce is a felony and carries a penalty of up to ten years in state prison.

National polls show a majority (52%) of Americans support marijuana legalization and even more support medical marijuana.

“We should treat marijuana like alcohol or tobacco and regulate personal use amounts. The legal drugs have proven to be far more harmful than marijuana yet we continue to treat marijuana like plutonium rather than wine”, Bell said. “Money saved not prosecuting marijuana case can be applied to drug and alcohol treatment programs for those who truly need it.”

Another reform issue on Georgia CARE’s agenda is expanding the medical marijuana laws that the Georgia General Assembly unanimously passed in 1980 and signed into law.

The post Georgia CARE Welcomes Criminal Justice Reform appeared first on Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and Education.

With that in mind James Bell set out to look at statements made in the AJC concerning marijuana – particularly “fake pot” also know as “Spice” and “K2”.

On a front page story “Synthetic pot still on market” (Aug. 10, 2012 side bar) AJC reported that the designer drug was made by spraying a plant material with chemicals containing THC, an active compound in cannabis.

Bell challenged the AJC on the statement and asked for a retraction and correction of the statement. After a series of email exchanges the AJC did in fact correct the statement on April 4, 2013 –

“A front-page article about synthetic marijuana in the Aug. 10, 2012, edition should have stated that it is a designer drug made by spraying chemicals that mimic the effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical compound in marijuana that has psychoactive effects. If you have a question or comment about articles or photos published in the AJC, contact the newsroom at 404-526-7003 or email newstips@ajc.com.”

Bell said if the AJC is going to trivialize the arrest of nearly 30,000 people each year in Georgia, it was fair to challenge them on this false statement.

“The designer drug being called “synthetic pot” is not cannabis and is not a natural substance, False statements associating cannabis with this product piles on more negative connotations on a plant that has been deemed to be one of the safest therapeutically active substances know to man”, Bell said.

Bell is concerned that when the public is given false information that associates cannabis with a synthetic substance that has caused harmful effects on users and negative news stories worldwide, the public will assume the same harmful effects apply to natural cannabis. “This is not true”, Bell said.

Bell ruled the statement to be false on his Truth-O-Meter and commends the AJC for correcting the statement.

“The DEA’s Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young concluded: “In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.”

Source: US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, “In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition,” [Docket #86-22], (September 6, 1988), p. 57.

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