Will Georgia End Their Marijuana Prohibition?

Photo credit: The End Marijuana Prohibition/ Marijuana TV

A Senator in Georgia attempted to put a Marijuana Legalization Amendment on the ballot in this past 2016 election but failed due to the Georgia Legislature. Senator Curt Thompson proposed the amendment to the Georgia Legislation in November 2014. To make it on the ballot, the amendment required a two-thirds supermajority vote in both the chambers of the Georgia Legislator and in April 2015, the proposal ended without the approval from both chambers.

The amendment, if approved, would have legalized the recreational use of marijuana to Georgia residents 21 years or older. Revenue from the taxes and fees from the sale and production of marijuana would be divided between education and transportation, according to Ballotpedia.

Although marijuana is illegal in the state of Georgia, Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 1 in December 2015 legalizing 20 ounces or less of cannabis oil that contained 5% THC or less to patients with diseases such as Parkinson’s and Crone’s, seizure disorders, and sickle cell.

The catch is that cultivation is still illegal in Georgia. Even though it is legal to possess marijuana oil, bringing it into the state and growing it is still punishable by law.

There are a few organizations in Georgia attempting to change the cannabis laws, and the Georgia CARE Project is one of them. They are a nonprofit working throughout the state of marijuana prohibition laws and are “dedicated to the reform of Georgia’s outmoded, racially biased, and un-compassionate cannabis laws.”

One of the CARE Project’s initiatives is “City by City” which handles marijuana reform on a city-level. Clarkston, GA., a city that sits less than 20 miles from the state capitol Atlanta, has already shown progression with this initiative.

In July 2016, The Clarkston City Council voted and approved the marijuana state ordinance, reducing the fine from $1,000 to $75 for possessing less than an ounce and eliminating jail time, according to the AJC.

“We’re not saying it’s legalized,” Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry said, “but we’re also saying we don’t want to ruin someone’s life or drain their bank account for what could be considered a simple mistake.”

Terry and the Georgia CARE project have argued that the punishment for breaking marijuana laws in the State of Georgia are harsh and often mostly affect communities in color.

With the help of the Georgia CARE Project, public officials like Ted Terry and Senator Thompson, and the push from the residents of Georgia; marijuana can be legalized by 2020, ending the prohibition in Georgia.