Will Georgia Legalize Pot?

Georgia Insight’s Weekly Commentary, January 11, 2019 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Although the Georgia General Assembly passed laws authorizing the medical use of low potency THC for patients on the state registry, folks who want marijuana grown in the state are not satisfied.

Since the 2018 legislature adjourned last spring, two special study committees have met to find ways to accomplish two goals: (a) in-state cultivation of marijuana to provide retail sales of THC oil, and (b) in-state cultivation of hemp-grade marijuana for manufacturing multiple retail products.

Whether it’s grown for hemp or THC oil, marijuana is a dangerous, addictive, hallucinogenic product when it’s smoked.  Also, there is noproven medical benefit for THC oil that’s taken by mouth or injected.  The tension in this debate is between scientific fact and emotional need.

Scientists say the medical benefits of cannabis have been debated globally for 150 years.  After a hundred years of listing cannabis extracts as sleep aids and treatment for convulsions, the British and U.S. Pharmacopeia took cannabis extracts off the list for the same reasons debated today.Although cannabis has been recommended for PTSD, results of such use indicate poor clinical outcomes that, actually, may hinder effective PTSD treatment.  Years ago, marijuana was recommended to treat glaucoma, but if failed to reduce the cause of glaucoma.

In October 2017, Bertha Madras, PhD Professor of Psychobiology, who’s taught at Harvard Medical School for 31 years and has a TON of credentials, published a 41-page “Update of Cannabis and its Medical Use.”  She explained today’s situation this way: “Medical marijuana has been approved in 28 states and the District of Columbia, but researchers are still trying to connect the dots as to how, and if, it works.”

Then, she quoted a Harvard-affiliate associate professor of medicine who explained, “Unfortunately there are almost no uses of medical marijuana that have been subjected to the kind of rigorous testing you’d want for a pharmaceutical.  This does not mean that it has no benefits, but only that the lack of human studies prevents us from being sure if medical marijuana can really help.”

Here in Georgia, it’s troubling to read tragic reports from states suffering the consequences of misused medical marijuana, and the dangers of recreational marijuana.  Also troubling is the possibility that legislators may recommend in-state cultivation of marijuana for ANY purpose.  For the sake of Georgia culture, such bills should be stopped!  For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.