Pubdate: Thu, 20 Mar 2014
Source: Red and Black, The (U of Georgia, GA Edu)
Copyright: 2014 The Red and Black Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.redandblack.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2800
Source: Red and Black, The (U of Georgia, GA Edu)
Author: Machelle Baruchman

LEGALIZING MEDICAL MARIJUANA COULD EXCEL STATE'S HEALTH CARE

If the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives approve the medical
marijuana bill the state would become a leader in the nation in health
care.

James Bell, founder of Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform and
Education is one supporter of this belief.

House Bill 885 would grant easier access for patients with glaucoma,
epilepsy and cancer to receive cannabidiol oil, a derivative of
medical marijuana.

On March 3, "Crossover Day," the last possible day for a bill to be
approved by either chamber, the Georgia House of Representatives
passed House Bill 885 in a 171 person to four person vote, Bell said.
The bill then went to a senate committee who debated and altered the
bill, attaching autism to the list of patients allowed to receive
medical cannabis. The senate will vote to approve the amended version
and pass it along to the House for a vote on March 20.

Bell said House Bill 885 is an improvement, but there is still work to
be done.

"We are trying to smile our way through, but this is not what we
want," Bell said. "It was a good discussion this year, and a lot of
people got educated, but hopefully we will move on from there."

One particular issue Bell has with the bill is transportation of
supply of the medical marijuana.

While the bill would give protection to patients in possession of CBD
oil obtained legally, bringing any form of marijuana across state
borders is a federal crime.

Bell said in Georgia there is no cultivation or supply of marijuana
within the state lines, so patients and parents risk prosecution if
caught transporting the oil from states who produce it, such as Colorado.

"It creates a back door way to more black markets and more smuggling,"
Bell said.

Bell said ultimately, CARE is pushing for both medicinal and
recreational use.

"We want legalization and we're not hiding from that issue," he said.
"We don't believe cannabis is a crime, and we don't believe people
should be going to jail or prison over it."

But he said while he supports complete legalization, they are two
separate issues.

"There is propaganda and people group together medical marijuana with
what I call the Cheech and Chong factor," Bell said. "People think
it's only hippie, tye-dye-wearing college students smoking, but it's
more than that."

Josh Wayne, president of the Athens chapter of CARE, said he tabled in
the Tate Student Center Plaza to raise awareness among students about
the matter.

"There is a lot of propaganda out there," Wayne said. "People have a
negative outlook when they don't have the facts. We have them question
what they believe to be true."

Wayne said he supports legalization of medical marijuana because
proven benefits for people who live with Alzheimer's, epilepsy and
Crohn's disease.

"It's hard for me to be quiet when people are suffering," Wayne said.
"There are people who could benefit from this a I think they should,
and if there is medicine to potentially help people we should explore
that option to matter what it is."

Like Bell, Wayne said there is a distinction between two completely
different arguments.

"For medical marijuana, it's an argument of getting people help and
doing the kind of research that should be done," he said. "From a
recreational standpoint, I support it because what I point to is
alcohol prohibition. Because when we made it illegal, we saw a rise in
violence, and a very similar thing is happening now. But from a
personal liberty standpoint, the government really shouldn't tell you
what you can and can't do with your body if it doesn't affect anybody
else."

Zach Nix, a member of Athens CARE, said legalizing marijuana would
create positive outcomes.

"Across the board it would raise a lot of money, help with taxes and
create more jobs, which is not something I think people think about,"
said Nix, a junior majoring in communication from Cumming.
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MAP posted-by: Matt