#2020GAWCC

2020 Updates and Outlooks: Cannabis in the South

Industry updatesLegalizationLicensing

Join our exhibitors for interactive displays and product demonstrations.

SPEAKERS

Sally Kent Peebles Partner, Vicente Sederberg LLP

Whitt Steineker Partner, Co-Chair Cannabis Industry Team, Bradley

A new poll in Georgia has found that, for the first time, a majority of adults in the deeply conservative state believe marijuana should be legalized for both medical and recreational use.

Out of 2,875 Georgians polled between May 10 and May 15, 55% said they believe marijuana should be legal for adult use, only 35% said it should remain prohibited and 10% were unsure, according to a SurveyUSA study commissioned by 11Alive News. The 55% response is up from just two years ago, when a poll by the Atlanta TV station showed that only 48% of Georgians said MJ should be fully legal.

The new poll also found that 71% of Georgians back legal cannabis for medical use, even though the state has yet to establish a fully functioning MMJ program.

It is legal to possess and use CBD in Georgia, but there’s no legal way for patients to obtain it, since growing cannabis is still a crime in the state.

There’s also no ballot initiative system in Georgia, so the only way for cannabis to be legalized is for the state Legislature to act, which is likely years from happening.

Still, the poll is another indicator that views on marijuana are slowly but steadily becoming more positive, which will likely eventually lead to a much broader U.S. cannabis industry. We will explore these topics and more surrounding what's happening with cannabis in the south.