By: Valerie Burgos

The Georgia C.A.R.E. Project plans to host a Decrim-Athens rally tonight, Dec. 1, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the sidewalk in front of the Athens city hall. Its goal is to push comissioners to discuss and vote on a proposed marijuana ordinance by Jan. 2016. This ordinance would allow citizens to possess 28 grams or less of personal marijuana. The Director of the Georgia C.A.R.E. Project James Bell told Grady Newsource Reporter Chelsea Beimfohr that the local District Attorney says the decriminalization ordinance is not feasible. Bell adds that his group disagrees and claims other cities in the state have passed similar local ordinances. Morrow’s Interim Police Chief Gregory Tatroe explains that possession of less than 1 oz. of marijuana is considered to be a misdemeanor, worthy of arrest. However, it is up to the city police’s discretion whether or not to arrest the person in possession or to simply give them a citation to appear in court. Captain Tatroe was not able to provide an exact list of cities that allow this.

Under current state law certain medical patients are allowed to possess no more than 20 fluid ounces of medical cannabis oil in Georgia, but Haleigh’s Hope Act does not state where patients can obtain their medicine. It only protects those who are eligible to use medicinal marijuana from prosecution in Georgia.

According to Georgia Cannabis, most patients order their medicine from a reputable producer in a state where the production of marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal. Some of these states include:

1. Alaska
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Connecticut
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Delaware
8. Hawaii
9. Illinois
10. Maine

The ProCon Organization has the full list on their website.

Meanwhile, Georgia Cannabis states that a patient is only eligible to receive medical marijuana if they suffer from one of the following illnesses:

1. Cancer, when such diagnosis is end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness, recalcitrant nausea and vomiting.
2. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.
3. Seizure disorders related to diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma related head injuries.
4. Multiple Sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.
5. Crohn’s Disease
6. Mitochondrial Disease
7. Parkinson’s Disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.
8. Sickle Cell Disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.

Additionally, the patient must:

• Register with the Georgia Department of Public Health and have a registration card on their person when possessing said oil.
• If the patient is under 18 years of age, the parent or guardian must possess a card designating them as the patient’s caregiver.
• The medical marijuana oil must contain no more than 5% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and it must contain an amount of CBD (cannabidiol) that is at least equal to the amount of THC.
• The low THC oil must be in a pharmaceutical container, and the label must clearly state the percentage of THC contained therein.
• The patient may possess no more than 20 fluid ounces of low THC oil.

For more information, you can visit georgiacannabis.org/find-low-thc-medical-cannabis-oil/