Cannabis Count: 7 Georgia Legislators Open to Medical Marijuana
(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta Progressive News is keeping track of the fast progress of medical cannabis policy reform in the Georgia Legislature. To date, at least seven (7) State Legislators have indicated their openness or support for legalized medical cannabis in Georgia.
Medical marijuana is a hot topic for discussion and study at the State Capitol this year during their 40-day legislative session, which began Monday, January 13, 2014.
As first reported by WSB-TV Channel 2, on January 07, 2014, Republican State Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) called for hearings on medical marijuana; then, on January 09, House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) told Channel 2 he would be open to the idea.
Now, State Rep. Allen Peake, a Macon Republican, said he supports opening a discussion on allowing medicinal marijuana in Georgia.
He said he was inspired by a story that 13WMAZ’s Judy Le reported last week about a four year-old Haleigh Cox in his district.
She suffers from uncontrolled seizures, and her family said it’s considering moving out of state to purchase medical marijuana that would help her condition.
Peake said a similar law in Georgia might help other people in the same condition.
“If it was my child, my grandchild, and this was the only remedy to be able to deal with a medical issue, I’d be pushing it as hard as I could. So I think there’s a good, it’s worth a good effort, to look at it, but let me be clear, there is no interest in legalizing marijuana for normal purposes here in our state,” Peake told Channel 13.
State Rep. Nikki Randall, a Macon Democrat, said in the same broadcast that she agrees with Peake on medical cannabis and also wants to look into legalizing cannabis for recreational use.
As previously reported by Atlanta Progressive News, State Reps. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta), Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta), and Rep.-Elect “Able” Mable Thomas (D-Atlanta) each indicated their support for medical marijuana in 2012 candidates questionnaires provided to APN.
So far the list of legislators who have publicly voiced interest in a study or outright support continues to grow.
To find out your representative’s position on medical marijuana, join Peachtree NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and the Georgia Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union for lobby day at the State Capitol, Tuesday, January 21. Meet at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, across from the Capitol, room 605 at 9 a.m. for legislative training; then go back to Capitol and lobby your representative.
A press conference will follow the lobbying session at 1:00 p.m. on the Washington Street side of the Capitol.
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