Ralston said, “We’re Going to ‘Move’ on [Marijuana]!”
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, January 16, 2015 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
Representative Allen Peake’s January 9th press release explained how he and the governor had “been in intense conversations over the last several days about [Peake’s marijuana bill, H.B. 1].” After those talks, he decided to rewrite his bill and file it with the Clerk’s office today.
Some say the bill has been gutted because the new version will not allow marijuana to be grown in Georgia. However, “individuals with certain medical conditions” could go to another state to legally obtain cannabis oil with a three to five percent THC level and bring it back to Georgia, without fear of prosecution.
During the marijuana study committee meeting in Gwinnett County, where law enforcement officials were asked to express their opinion, committee member Representative Margaret Kaiser revealed that cultivation of marijuana is the heart of their plan. After hearing each law enforcement official urge them NOT to allow cultivation, she said, “We don’t think we can do this without cultivation. It’s a big point to take cultivation off the table.” Last Saturday morning I was reminded of her comment when someone called WSB radio and asked Walter Reeves to tell him how to grow marijuana. Thankfully, Mr. Reeves reminded him that it’s illegal to grow marijuana in Georgia, so he couldn’t tell him how to grow it now, BUT if it becomes legal, he will. That call was a preview of things to come if Senator Curt Thompson’s pre-filed bills were to pass. His S.R. 6 would change the State Constitution to legalize the production and sale of marijuana for the personal use of anyone age 21 or older and his S.B. 7 would regulate it.
If his bills were to pass, a cannabis industry would be created and Georgia would be in the pharmaceutical business, with new state agencies and additional state employees to dispense and regulate a high-risk Schedule I drug that’s harmful to users.
Someone might open a “Cannabis College” like the one in Tampa, Florida that teaches only one course, “Education in Cultivation” of marijuana, using pepper and tomato plants, instead of marijuana plants. Or like the Colorado Cannabis College that calls itself “The Harvard of Pot Schools,” where someone said, “It’s an industry that, if you’ve got 100,000 square feet, you can make $50 million to $80 million a year,” without mentioning the misery marijuana causes.
I haven’t seen the re-written bill, but, evidently, the Governor has. During his State-of-the-State Address on Wednesday, Governor Deal stated that he would sign the marijuana bill when it gets to his desk. When Representative Peake’s H.B. 1 and the other bills go to committee, I’ll let you know which legislators to contact, so you can influence the language during the process. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.