Government Doubling Down on Medical Marijuana Stance
The Federal Government has doubled down on its decision not to allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes. Despite twenty-five states and the District of Columbia passing laws that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) denied requests to move marijuana from a “Schedule I” controlled substance to a “Schedule II” controlled substance. In an article from The Washington Post, the DEA’s decision is highlighted with Church Rosenberg, the acting administrator of the DEA, stating, “Right now, the science doesn’t support it…” and that “The FDA knows this better than anyone on the Planet…” Rosenberg did say that the DEA will be increasing the number of places allowed to grow and conduct research on marijuana in terms of its value as a medicine. Critics, however, say that the red tape of registration and applications requests make it too difficult to study a schedule I drug.
What does this have to do with Georgia, though? Well, anyone who has paid attention to the last few legislative sessions would know that medical marijuana has been a hot topic. State Representative Allen Peake (R) has been the leader of the fight in the state legislature to legalize medical marijuana in the state of Georgia. He had this to say about the DEA’s decision:
“This decision is just insane. To continue to state that there is no evidence that medical cannabis has therapeutic value is an insult and slap in the face to thousands of citizens and families that have seen the drastic positive benefits. This clearly now becomes a full on ‘states rights’ issue, and we as Georgia leaders must be willing to address the proper way to provide safe, lab tested medical cannabis for our citizens. That is our job, that is our moral responsibility, and we cannot fail our fellow hurting Georgians. We have waited too long already. How many more will continue to suffer while we wait on an inept federal government. It’s time to act.”
In the 2014 legislative session, Representative Peake was able to get a bill legalizing medical cannabis for the purpose of treating some seizure disorders passed by the State House, but in the Senate, Senator Renee Unterman (R) helped lead an effort to combine the bill with an autism insurance bill. The Senate passed the new form of the bill unanimously, but the House stripped the autism insurance provisions from it and sent it back to the Senate where it died. At the time, I was a page for the Senate and watched this epic medical marijuana melodrama unfold live, feeling the frustration between the two chambers throughout the Capital. Peake would have better luck the following year, though.
Finally, in 2015, Allen Peake was able to get House Bill 1, or Haleigh’s Hope Act, passed and signed into law by the Governor, but only after it was watered down by the legislative process. Then in 2016, Representative Peake sought to expand House Bill 1 to include more illnesses that can be treated by medical cannabis, but despite passing the House, Senator Renee Unterman, Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and Insurance Executive with Amerigroup, stalled the bill saying it needed more work. Peake attempted to attach his language to another Senate Bill, but when it returned to the Senate, it was never voted on and died.
All in all, Allen Peake has worked extremely hard to get Georgia where it is in terms of medical marijuana legalization and, as indicated by his sever criticisms, he does not agree at all with the DEA’s decision. However, the Federal Government does not seem like it will be bugging anytime soon on its ruling that marijuana, like LSD and Heroin, have “no currently accepted medical use in the Unites States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse.” Eventually, though, with mounting pressure from state governments, legislators like Allen Peake, changing public opinion, and now a resolution adopted by the National Conference of State Legislatures, marijuana will be moved from Schedule I to Schedule II.
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Government is wrong. The medical uses for marijuana are well documented. Legalize it now!
As more states legalize marijuana the federal ban will become increasingly irrelevant. Right now Governor Deal and Unterman are the main obstacles to legalization here in Georgia.
Gov. Deal and Sen. Unterman oppose medical marijuana for two different reasons, I think.
For the Governor, it’s the issue of state agencies violating federal law. Rep. Peake’s plan to cultivate marijuana in-state would have had, at best, state agencies looking the other way, or at worst violating federal law. That’s a big burden, telling the people who work for you to violate the law.
For Sen. Unterman, her objection is the lack of clinical trials to prove the efficacy of CBD oil in treating the covered diseases. This also deals with things like dosages and frequency.
Currently four states have full legalization and several others have extensive medical marijuana legalization. After the November elections several more states will legalize. Federal law has not impaired these states.
As for Unterman, it’s always difficult to determine her motivation on any medical related issues.
Governor Deal’s strong deferrals to Federalism in the case of medical marijuana sure do stand juxtaposed to his notions of Federalism regarding the acceptance of Syrian refugees, DACA, the ACA implementation….
i noted some conflicting evidence that he is deferential to fed law.
he did ultimately accept refugee law, right? and gay marriage if memory serves.
yet, where is Mr. Olens and other states- so often up in arms abt state’s rights- on this one?
the issue is, the 10th amendment wouldn’t likely win on this one, and only hemporary measures like the Farr-Rohrabacher amendment , which makes med marijuana a low prosecution priority, seem to get thru. but they send the signal that fed law enforcement should not be the highest concern for states. so many ppl thought obama was going to sign the exec order to move marijuana in the schedule.
“For Sen. Unterman, her objection is the lack of clinical trials to prove the efficacy of CBD oil in treating the covered diseases. This also deals with things like dosages and frequency.”
This tends to be my position on this as well. We should allow clinical trials to prove or disprove the medical benefits of marijuana, but I’m uncomfortable with elected officials who are not medical doctors making clinical decisions.
There is a catch 22 in that you have huge hurdles to the kind of trials that she wants as long as it is schedule 1 like LSD or heroin.
Agreed gcp. Unterman will always find another excuse to block this common sense need that has been proven to be helpful for many medical situations. It is really a shame that one obstinate senator is preventing good folks like Rep Allan Peake from helping Georgia residents with their medical needs. One more reason why regular folks are disgusted with government.