Pubdate: Thu, 19 Dec 2013
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
Copyright: 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Contact:  http://www.ajc.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/28
Author: James Bell
Note: James Bell is the founder of Georgia CARE (Campaign for Access,
Reform, and Education) Project
Page: A22

TREAT MARIJUANA LIKE WINE

National polls show 58 percent now support legalizing medicinal
marijuana, and 80 percent indicate support for doing so. This shift in
attitudes toward cannabis comes after 20 states and the District of
Columbia enacted medical marijuana laws, and Colorado and Washington
voted to legalize its use.

Will Georgia follow suit and reform its 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 has addressed 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 The program is no longer active.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; 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 Dr. Sanjay Gupta. This ground-breaking expose
opened the eyes and hearts of millions of viewers to the medicine
called cannabis.

On the criminal justice front, Georgia has enacted certain legal
reforms to reduce the number of non-violent offenders in the prison
system. It has ignored the issue of marijuana law reform.

Georgia has some of the most draconian marijuana laws in the nation,
with penalties of up to 10 years in prison for possession of more than
an ounce. With nearly 30,000 arrests each year, the harm done to our
citizens by these laws far exceeds 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. The money we spend on arrest, prosecution and incarceration for
a commodity known to be far safer than alcohol and tobacco 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. Even legislators are educating themselves about the topic and
are seeking alternate policies.

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

We have drafted legislation and seek support. We encourage citizens to
contact their legislators to begin a dialog on this issue. With
marijuana, Georgia should apply its motto: "Wisdom, Justice,
Moderation."
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MAP posted-by: Matt