NOT EVEN CLOSE

Ronald Fraser’s article last week was misleading. Georgia is nowhere
close to protecting medical marijuana users or legalizing pot. In
2008, the Georgia General Assembly made anti-marijuana “reefer
madness” into state law. The Georgia Code, Section 16-13-30.6, states
that marijuana is a dangerous gateway drug that causes “many negative
health effects” “respiratory problems” “lower test scores” and
problems on the job. The only way for a medical marijuana bill to get
off the ground in Georgia would be passage of a state law. Our current
legislature is not going to do it.

On the federal level, I disagree that the Obama administration is
allowing states to do whatever they want. It has not adopted any
formal policy protecting medical marijuana users. In fact, FBI raids
on marijuana clinics in California have continued since January,
despite Attorney General Holder’s public statements.

Marijuana possession in Georgia is illegal. Period. In nearly every
county in our state, you can and will be arrested and jailed for
possessing any amount of pot.

While it is true we have a law on the books allowing the distribution
of marijuana to glaucoma and cancer patients on an experimental basis,
that law has never been funded or put into use. Right now, Georgia’s
answer to someone using marijuana to relieve the symptoms of cancer or
AIDS is to put them in jail.

Those who want change should write to their congressional
representatives in support of the bills co-sponsored by Barney Frank
and Ron Paul last week protecting medical marijuana users and
decriminalizing possession of small amounts of pot. Then it would at
least be safe to smoke in a National Park.

David E. Clark, Attorney
Executive Director, NORML Georgia