The cannabis plant is a critically important one. People and all other mammals have an internal endo-cannabinoid system that produces biological compounds that are vital for regulating the entire body and returning its function to balance during stress, pain and illness. Cannabinoids like CBD, THC and many others from the cannabis plant interact directly with the endo-cannabinoid system, and have the same effects to treat pain and restore balance in countless physical and mental health conditions. Given that cannabis has much less potential for overdose, addiction and organ damage than other legal drugs like alcohol, tobacco and opioids, this restriction highlights exactly how important this plant is.
Georgia’s new hemp amendment, Senate Bill 494 (SB 494), adds many restrictions to the hemp industry in Georgia. SB 494 attempts to redefine the federal definition of hemp and take away one of the most valuable cannabinoids, THCa, which is not intoxicating. It also is restricting the sale of raw cannabis flower, regardless of THC content. Flower of the cannabis plant is versatile, and smoking flower is arguably the best delivery method because it allows the many different cannabinoids of the plant to work in balance to quickly and effectively interact with all aspects of the endo-cannabinoid system.
SB 494 doubled in size an hour before it was voted on at 1 a.m. the day after the last day of legislative session in March 2024. The legislature did not know what they were voting on. This inappropriate action in passing legislation alone should negate this bill. It is unconscionable that the authors of this bill can double the size of a bill and not explain the changes in detail before it is voted upon. Gov. Brian Kemp was made aware of this before signing the bill, in May, including a petition that had over 600 signatures at the time and has ballooned to 1400, since then.
This absurd law will also decrease sales in the hemp industry by more than half, and can do nothing to curb sales from hemp companies outside of Georgia because it is a federally legal industry. This means that this bill will immediately and substantially decrease Georgia’s ability to compete economically with other states in the hemp industry. Georgia’s fledgling medical marijuana industry currently does not allow for flower sales. Thus, the people in the state who need it will be forced to look for their flower from outside Georgia or in the illegal market. This makes both safety and economic benefits for Georgia citizens non-existent.
Kemp’s press release quote regarding SB 494 was, “Consumable hemp products are dangerous to minors and unregulated hemp products are a danger to all Georgians.” There is no proof this is true. Even stories of high school students who managed to purchase hemp products in gas stations did not result in death or even addiction. This is the same type of rhetoric used by Richard Nixon to start the since-failed “War on Drugs.”
While the hemp industry has been operating in Georgia, many people have found relief from common problems that the mainstream medical community has been unable to solve safely for decades and even centuries. Anxiety in our communities has been on the rise, affecting mental health and suicide rates. Cannabis has been shown to help curb high anxiety naturally. The recent changes in pain management in the U.S. due to new understanding of the dangers of opioids mean that we have a need for CBD and THC, as they both are anti-inflammatory and are not physically addictive. Furthermore, CBD and THC have never killed someone from overdose. This fact makes cannabis safer than acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil) or even baby aspirin.
To get a medical marijuana card is very easy. They will tell you this at the dispensary. There are five different companies that will guarantee you a card for the cost of $100–$150 and a 15-minute phone conversation with a “medical professional.” What they won’t tell you is that discrepancies between state and federal law could have negative implications on gun ownership and insurance companies could raise premiums if the individual is identified as a “smoker” due to owning a medical marijuana card. It is important to understand that these cards are not prescriptions, because prescriptions are regulated by the FDA, and medical marijuana is not federally legal.
The medical marijuana industry contains many dispensaries, but only a few corporations own all of these. These corporations are very organized and have a strong lobby and contribute massive amounts of cash into the American political landscape. But, keep in mind, they are still federally illegal and allowed to operate under state laws created just for them. It is known by many that SB 494 and many other bills aimed at the hemp industry in the U.S. were written by this same powerful lobby.
Anyone who suggested that SB 494 is helping anyone in Georgia, guess again. Even the medical marijuana corporations operating in Georgia have no administrative offices in Georgia. Conversely, the hemp industry has thrived with local ownership in farming, retail and manufacturing. These companies are small but growing rapidly. If you want to shop local cannabis, hemp is your only choice.
Between Aug. 7 and Sept. 6 over 1,000 comments on SB 494 were received by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. In a statement on their website, the GDA has stated that they were overwhelmed by these responses and have not completed the rules that are necessary for enforcement. Despite this lack of clarity, the state is already reaching out to Georgia hemp industry professionals and threatening them with criminal prosecution if they don’t follow this law with incompletely defined rules. This is actually unconstitutional, as it breaks the necessary “rule of law” that is important to enforce laws.
Please contact your local, state and national politicians and insist that we deserve better health and wellness through a plant that is very important. Tell them to let Georgia hemp businesses continue to operate in an innovative manner and bring cannabis to our communities.
Hart is the business owner of the Franny’s Farmacy branch in Athens.
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The cannabis plant is a critically important one. People and all other mammals have an internal endo-cannabinoid system that produces biological compounds that are vital for regulating the entire body and returning its function to balance during stress, pain and illness. Cannabinoids like CBD, THC and many others from the cannabis plant interact directly with the endo-cannabinoid system, and have the same effects to treat pain and restore balance in countless physical and mental health conditions. Given that cannabis has much less potential for overdose, addiction and organ damage than other legal drugs like alcohol, tobacco and opioids, this restriction highlights exactly how important this plant is. Georgia’s new hemp amendment, Senate Bill 494 (SB 494), adds many restrictions to Read More