Georgia Politicians Call for Legalizing Marijuana

By Matt Ford

The Libertarian Party of Georgia is joining the national conversation on marijuana legalization with its call to let Peach State residents vote on the substance’s legal use, which would be a first for the South if the effort gains traction.

Georgia is ahead of other states in the push for legalizing marijuana in all forms as the argument for medical use gains traction in the South. Other Southern states, such as Alabama and Louisiana, have begun to consider regulated cannabis use for medical conditions.

Cannabidiol, a form of marijuana that can be administered orally in a liquid form, has been shown as an effective treatment to children who suffer upwards of 100 seizures a day, The New York Times reports.

“Georgia voters should be allowed to vote on the issue,” said Doug Craig, the chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia,according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If the voters were allowed to vote, we believe they would vote to legalize.”

The party emphasized its view of legalizing marijuana in a press release Wednesday. Unlike the laws some states already have that allow the drug’s medical use, the Libertarian Party of Georgia is advocating for its legal use in all forms.

The movement comes months after Colorado and Washington state legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Additionally, Craig said the socially liberal, fiscally conservative party decided to voice its opinion after the New York Times’ recently endorsed legalizing the substance.

Gov. Nathan Deal supported conducting clinical trials for medical marijuana in early July, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. State Rep. Allen Peake has voiced support for the trials.

The conversation is not new to Georgia, although the state’s legislature has not called for a vote.

Advocates for legalization cite wasted federal money on drug-prevention programs and enforcement that have done little to counter the crime rate as reasons to allow and regulate usage.

The issue has caught traction in the Capitol, where a legislative study committee on medical marijuana will meet on Aug. 27.

Libertarian Party of Georgia members Andrew Hunt and former Flowery Branch City Councilwoman Amanda Swafford are running for governor and the U.S. Senate this year, respectively.


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