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LOCAL
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 -14, 2019 • Page 2
COUNTYWIDE
i
Marijuana reform
could be key in 2020
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
State Representative
Dar’shun Kendrick, (D
- Lithonia), said it is time
to address the elephant in
the room for next year’s
legislative session.
Kendrick said it is time
to talk about marijuana
reform in Georgia. Kendrick
said she plans to introduce
legislation regarding
marijuana use in Georgia as
well as record expungement
for marijuana-related
convictions in 2020.
“We have to consider
how we’re locking people
up. The majority of my
district is African American,
so my perspective is going
to be a little different
and one that is more
sympathetic, especially
when seeing the trend as it’s
related to criminal justice,”
Kendrick said.
According to a report
from the American Civil
Liberties Union, marijuana
use is roughly equal among
Blacks and Whites, yet
Blacks are 3.73 times more
likely to be arrested for
marijuana possession.
In Illinois, Gov. J.B.
Pritzker signed House Bill
1438, which legalizes the
use of cannabis for residents
21 and older and allows
Illinois residents with
cannabis-related criminal
records to have their records
expunged.
Kendrick said she is
reviewing laws such as
the cannabis reform law in
Illinois to see if something
similar can be created in
Georgia after Gov. Brian
Kemp signed House Bill
324 into law. HB 324 allows
six private companies and
two state universities—
the University of Georgia
and Fort Valley State
University—to grow and
produce medical marijuana
and cannabis oil in Georgia.
“This industry that was
just created is essentially
going to make a lot of
people rich and it doesn’t
make sense to have Black
and Brown people sitting
in jail while others make a
profit off of it,” Kendrick
said.
Kendrick also plans
to introduce legislation
in 2020 that would
create a committee to
study financing options,
including low-interest
loans to increase minority
participation in the
marijuana industry.
In 2016, Clarkston
addressed marijuana
reform issues by reducing
the penalty for possession
of less than an ounce
of marijuana from a
maximum fine of $ 1,000
to a maximum fine of $75.
DeKalb officials discussed
marijuana reform prior to
the 2019 legislative session
and some said they are in
support of a county wide
marijuana reform ordinance.
Commissioner Nancy
Jester said she is in full
PUBLIC NOTICE
The City of Stone Mountain will hold a general
municipal election for three (3) Council Member
seats on November 5, 2019 for four-year terms.
All persons desiring to run for any of these offices
shall qualify at City Hall located at 875 Main Street,
Stone Mountain, GA, 30083. The qualifying period
shall begin on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 and end
on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Qualifying will be
conducted during the hours of 8:30am - 4:30pm
daily during the qualifying period. The qualifying
fee for the office of Council Member will be $108.00.
The qualifying fee must be paid during the qualifying
period.
support of legislation that
would allow counties to
change their ordinances on
marijuana. Jester said the
legislation could decrease
the workload for local
police.
“I don’t want anyone to
fall out of their chairs when
I say this but, I totally agree
with this. I think this is
something worth pursuing.
The city of Atlanta has
already done so,” Jester
said. “I think it does take off
a burden for the jails...we
do have more serious issues
to deal with. This is just
clogging up the works. And
for what? Giving people a
criminal record for doing
something stupid?”
In last year’s legislative
session, state lawmakers
failed to pass a bill that
would have increased
the amount of marijuana
considered a misdemeanor.
During a committee
hearing for Senate Bill 10
last year, Decatur-based
defense attorney Gerald
Griggs said the legislation
could help unburden
Georgia’s court system.
“I think [SB 10]
will release the burden
on many courts that are
dealing with low-level drug
offenders. They can have an
opportunity to rehabilitate
them or give them a small
fine,” Griggs said.
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