Our Team
CEO and Director: Theresa Yarbrough – Theresa Yarbrough brings over 3 decades of political activism to the table. Theresa served under the leadership of James Bell during his tenure at Georgia NORML and as interim President during his absence. She served as advisor to James Bell in the Ga. CARE Project. She has worked tirelessly to effect change in Georgia’s current cannabis prohibition laws. She has most recently created the Ga. Cannabis Industry Alliance and The Ga. Healthcare Alliance.
Founder: James Bell – an activist for 25 years and founder of Georgia NORML in 1988. In 2012, James established the Georgia CARE Project after Colorado and Washington State voted to legalize. He serves as Georgia’s lobbyist for marijuana law reform and has testified before legislative committees, speaks at college events and works with the media as a consultant. He has also been instrumental in helping to draft reform legislation in Georgia. A videographer/producer by profession. “Marijuana will be decriminalized in my life time. I want to be a part of that.”
Secretary / Treasurer: Jason Turner – a freelance writer, Constitutionalist and Warrior for Justice. He spent 10 years in the United States Navy as a Logistics Specialist with three deployments under his belt, two of which were “boots on ground” embedded into Army units. Education: while it is important, he feels it is much more important to be self taught on the issues that are important to oneself, which makes the (wo)man you will become. Jason is an advocate for the right of military veterans and others to use medicinal cannabis for PTSD and other conditions. “Politicians should not be determining who benefits from cannabis, it is a human right.”
Georgia CARE Project Advisory Board
Andy Cohen: The Cohen Law Firm – Andy was a public defender in Dalton, Georgia before entering private practice. He represented hundreds of clients in Superior Court in Whitfield and Murray Counties before moving to Atlanta in May of 2009 and starting the Cohen Law Firm. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, a master’s degree from the University of Washington, and a law degree from Mercer University. Having spent much of his adult life as a professional musician, he also has a PhD from the School of Hard Knocks.
Ron Williams: Ron Williams has been actively fighting against Cannabis Prohibition in Georgia for more than 30 years. He served on the board of Ga. NORML with James Bell and Theresa Yarbrough as they helped pioneer the marijuana legalization movement in Georgia. Ron is a community activist and has played a role in several political campaigns throughout his career. He serves as an advisor for Ga. CARE Project and is a co-founder with Mrs. Yarbrough in the Ga. Cannabis Industry Alliance.
Barbara Harris, RT, CMT – An author, Consciousness researcher and counselor living in Atlanta, Georgia. She spent six years at the University of Connecticut Medical School researching the after effects of people who have had Near-Death Experiences and taught about these after effects for 12 years at Rutgers University’s Institute of Alcohol and Drug Studies. She also teaches and writes on the Emotional Needs of Critical Care Patients. Her most recent book is The Secrets of Medicinal Marijuana: A Guide for Patients and Those Who Care for Them (Muse House Press, Atlanta Georgia 2015)