Category Archives: marijuana

Clarkston Councilman Seeks to Decriminalize Cannabis

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(APN) CLARKSTON — City of Clarkston Councilman Dean Moore recently announced plans to introduce legislation to make possession of under one ounce of cannabis (“marijuana”) a traffic offense with a fine of five dollars.   Last year, seventy people in Clarkston went to jail for marijuana possession.  The estimated population of Clarkston in 2014 was 7,846.   “Our strategy is […]

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Rep. Peake Maneuvers Medical Cannabis around Sen. Unterman

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(APN) ATLANTA — Deja Vu: State Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford) is again holding another medical cannabis bill hostage in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that she chairs.   Several years ago she held HB 855 hostage, and now its HB 722.   http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/2014/03/17/medical-cannabis-bill-approved-by-georgia-senate-committee-heads-to-full-senate/   However, the unsinkable State Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon), who authored HB 722, has come […]

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Senate Hearing Held on Cannabis Penalties; No Vote Taken

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(APN) ATLANTA — On Thursday, February 25, 2016, the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee held a first hearing on SB 254, the Marijuana Misdemeanor Bill.   The bill is sponsored by State Senator Harold Jones (D-Augusta) a former prosecuting attorney.   http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20152016/SB/254   http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/2016/01/24/sen-jones-discusses-bill-reducing-cannabis-possession-charges/   Sen. Jones’s bill would eliminate felony charges for possession of cannabis (“marijuana”) for personal use, regardless […]

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HB 722, In-State Cultivation, Gutted, but Peake Fights Back with Referendum Proposal

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(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, February 22, 2016, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee eliminated  in-state cultivation of medical cannabis from HB 722.   The revised HB 722 still adds several medical conditions to Georgia’s existing medical cannabis immunity laws; and adds one cannabinoid, Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid (THCA).   HB 722 has been gutted from 24 pages down to only seven.   […]

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Sen. Jones Discusses Bill Reducing Cannabis Possession Charges

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(APN) ATLANTA — On Wednesday, January 20, 2016, State Sen. Harold Jones ( D-Augusta) held a news conference at the State Capitol to discuss SB 254, which would change Georgia law regarding personal possession of over one ounce or more of cannabis (“marijuana”) from a felony to a misdemeanor charge.  The bill does not decriminalize or legalize cannabis.   Under […]

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Commission Hears Sheriffs’ Objections to Medical Cannabis in Georgia

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(APN) ATLANTA — The Wednesday, October 28, 2015 meeting of the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis heard testimony from law enforcement officials, the Georgia Pharmacy Association, and a medical cannabis security specialist.   The high point of the day was when Rick Allen, Director of the Georgia Drug and Narcotic Agency, mentioned the State of Connecticut has rescheduled cannabis from […]

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New Medical Cannabis Commission Holds First Hearing

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(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis–created by the General Assembly as part of a compromise with Gov. Nathan Deal, to explore in-state medical cannabis cultivation–met at the State Capitol on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 to discuss guidelines to access medical cannabis in Georgia.   One featured speaker was Brenda Fitzgerald, MD,, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of […]

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State Senate Committee Passes Improved Cannabis Oil Legislation

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(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate Health and Human Services Committee, after over four hours of testimony, finally passed an amended Senate version, similar to HB 1, with bipartisan support.   The bill provides immunity from prosecution in the State of Georgia for patients who use cannabis oil, up to five percent THC in the oil, who received a doctor’s […]

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Georgia Senate Passes Pitiful Medical Cannabis Research Bill

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(APN) ATLANTA — On Friday, March 13, 2015, the Georgia Senate passed SB 185, a medical cannabis research bill, which provides for clinical trials of cannabidiol-containing products to treat Georgia residents under 18 who have medication-resistant cases of epilepsy.   It passed the full Senate by a vote of 54 yeas and one nay.   The only nay was State […]

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Watered-down Medical Cannabis Bill Stalls in House Committee

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(APN) ATLANTA — At the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee Hearing on Tuesday, February 03, 2015, State Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) introduced HB 1, a revised version of last year Haleigh’s Hope.   The bill offers immunity for those who have obtained the oil from a state where it is legal to manufacture and sell the cannabis oil, but does not […]

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Cannabis Oil; Full Legalization Bills Pre-Filed for 2015 Legislative Session

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(APN) ATLANTA — Once again, Georgia will be among many U.S. states considering medicinal cannabis, or marijuana, in 2015. Up for consideration in Georgia are a total of three pre-filed bills: State Rep. Allen Peake’s (R-Macon) House Bill 1, and State Sen. Curt Thompson’s Senate Bill 7 and Senate Resolution 6.   SB 7 and HB 1 are medicinal marijuana […]

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(IPS) US Marijuana Lobby Sets Sights on Full Legalisation

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/01/u-s-marijuana-lobby-sets-sights-on-full-legalisation/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan 30 2013 (IPS) – Since the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington fully legalised marijuana via ballot initiatives in the November 2012 elections, efforts to medicalise, decriminalise, or legalise marijuana at the state level are sprouting up like so many hemp stalks on a sunny day.  Eighteen […]

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Activists to Push Legislature for Medical Marijuana in Georgia

(APN) ATLANTA — A coalition of organizations that deal with marijuana policy reform have come together to push the Legislature to address the issue of medical marijuana in the upcoming 2013 Legislative Session. The new coalition, the Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform & Education Project (Georgia CARE Project), held a press conference at the State Capitol on Monday, December 17, […]

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(IPS) Victories for Marijuana Legalisation, Same-Sex Marriage in US Elections

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/11/victories-for-marijuana-legalisation-same-sex-marriage-in-u-s-polls/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Nov 7 2012 (IPS) – In addition to the victories of the Democratic Party in retaining the presidency and the U.S. Senate, and of the Republican Party in retaining the U.S. House, there were major issue-related victories in Tuesday’s election whose common threads are personal liberty and […]

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