Patients go another year without medical marijuana legislation
The Georgia Legislature adjourned on March 28, 2013, and once again, no legislator made it a priority to protect medical marijuana patients.
Although the 2013 session has come to an end, you can still contact your legislators today and tell them that Georgia residents deserve to have a serious discussion about compassionate legislation that protects medical marijuana patients. If you are able to start a dialogue with your representative or senator, you may want to share with them MPP's model bill. You can also write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper supporting a medical marijuana law in Georgia.
If you are a medical professional, a patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, or if you know somebody who might benefit from medical marijuana, we would like to hear from you. Additionally, if you are a law enforcement official or a clergy member, please email state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help. Please include your address or nine-digit ZIP code so we can determine who your legislators are.
Learn about marijuana policies in Georgia
As of 2007, Georgia ranked number 15 in the nation with 351 out of 100,000 residents being arrested for a marijuana offense. A whopping 84% of these arrests were for mere possession (as opposed to manufacture or trafficking). Georgia also has some of the most punitive marijuana laws in the country, with possession of a mere two ounces being punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Subjecting an individual to a prison sentence for possession of a substance proven safer than alcohol and funding that sentence with tax payer dollars is not sound policy. Please write your state representatives and ask that they replace the current criminal penalties for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana with a simple civil violation. This simple change will decrease law enforcement costs while saving hundreds of otherwise law-abiding Georgia residents from the burden of living the rest of their lives with convictions on their records.
In addition to straining law enforcement costs, criminal policy focused on marijuana users puts an enormous strain on precious law enforcement time. In 2007, the clearance rate for murder in Georgia was a mere 57.1%. For rape, the clearance rate stood at an appalling 37.9%. With so many violent crimes going unsolved, it’s about time Georgia legislators end the prohibition on marijuana once and for all!
To learn more about Georgia, read Dr. Jon Gettman, Ph.D.'s report.
Stay connected
To receive news about Georgia marijuana policy reform as it happens, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service, if you haven't done so already. If you have any questions concerning the status of marijuana reform in Georgia, you can contact MPP at state@mpp.org.
