Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 Source: Macon Telegraph (GA) Copyright: 2009 The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company Contact: http://www.macontelegraph.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/667 Author: David E. Clark, Attorney, Executive Director, NORML Georgia 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 - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr