Several marijuana-related bills were up for passage this year at the Legislature. Besides the much publicized bill regarding in-state cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes, there were several other bills that dealt with marijuana or hemp.
Senate Bill 254, sponsored by Senator Harold Jones (D- 22), would decrease the penalty for marijuana possession down to a misdemeanor and limit potential imprisonment time to a period “not to exceed 12 months” or a fine “not to exceed $1,000,000.” Senator Jones laid out his reasoning behind introducing the bill when he pre-filed it in December. “We’re trying to make it so that one mistake doesn’t ruin someone’s life, because you know we don’t necessarily have a victim as such in this case,” said Jones. The law was limited to possession so dealers would not be covered under the bill. The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee and stalled out before approval and introduction to the full Senate. HB 1046 was a similar bill and would have meant no arrest for less than one ounce of possession. It was sent to the House Judicial Non-Civil Committee and didn’t get approval either.
House Bill 283, somewhat surprisingly sponsored by a Republican, Representative Stephen Allison of Blairsville, would amend the law to provide that a person’s conviction of the offense of simple possession of marijuana would not result in the suspension of such person’s drivers license. The bill had numerous qualifications and terms but apparently not enough for House Judicial Non-Civil Committee, where it stalled in a similar fashion to SB 254.
HB 704 was focused on agriculture and in particular, the product of industrial hemp. Hemp is non-psychoactive “cousin” of marijuana. The farm bill passed in the U.S. Congress in 2014 allowed for some hemp cultivation and some states quickly moved to adjust their laws. Twenty-seven states have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Virginia all allow some level of hemp cultivation for research or commercial purposes. It is legal to purchase hemp foods and products in the U.S., to the tune of millions of dollars worth being imported into the U.S. every year to fill a growing demand for hemp products.
In 2014, the annual retail sales from hemp products was estimated at $620 million. Much of that was imported from Canada, China and other countries. Despite being a cousin to marijuana, hemp seeds contain virtually no THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana). Hemp products can be made into foods such as milk, flour and oil. Hemp fiber has been used for thousands of years for fabric and rope. It is often used to make sails and can even be used as a substitute building materials for some woods, proving extremely strong and durable and more breathable. HB 704, sponsored by Rep. John Pezold (R -133) was referred to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. It never came out.
The most talked about bill this session relating to marijuana would have allowed for in-state cultivation for medical marijuana to provide the oil used to make a medicine that is particularly useful for seizures and other maladies. Rep. Allen Peake (R- 141) has made this push a passion in response to families, often with sick children, who were pleading for its passage. Peake resigned from a powerful governor floor leader position to focus primarily on its passage. The bill passed the House 152-8. It was referred to the Health and Human Services Committee in the Senate. The Chair of the Senate HHS Committee, Renee Unterman (R- 45), promptly said she would not hold a hearing on the bill, effectively killing it for the session. Peake has said he is “beyond disappointed” but there are a few days left in the session and he still has hope.
