A news conference and 710 Georgia panel discussion on National Oil Day will be held inside the Georgia State Capitol Wednesday, July 10, 2019 starting at 10:00 AM.
The events are a joint effort of legislators and stakeholders that have come together with one objective: to expand and unite the dialogue about legalizing the use of cannabis oil for medical and industrial purposes in the state of Georgia.
Organizers say it is the only 710 Georgia event — and first of its kind — in the State of Georgia to be taking place inside a state capitol building. The inaugural 710 Georgia Compassion Day will be bigger and bolder with the addition of corporate sponsorship and American Kinetics LLC as the official media relations firm.
Alexis Harris founder of SEC – Southeast Cannabis Symposium Series and Director of Harris and Associates is the primary organizer of the 2019 National Oil Day and 710 Georgia Compassion Day. Alexis Harris in past years worked under her father’s Green Rush Team a cannabis community organization. Ms. Harris has emerge an industry leader and well respected political force. Coach Harris birthed the “Compassion 710 Georgia Day” concept that his daughter Ms. Harris is executing. “I believes in his ideas and visions. I feels that this event will benefit all Georgians.” Ms. Harris has lent her organization’s resourcing this year’s event.
2019 confirmed organizations and speakers included: Rep. Billy Mitchell, Rep. Micah Gravely, Honorable D. Haigler, Dr. Resean Hodge, Attorney Brent Walker, Ted Metz, J’Lyn Furby PVSA Coach Michael Harris, and Alexis Harris.
“We want to change the dialogue and the stigma about the plant[cannabis],” claims “Coach” Mike Harris, an activist and lobbyist for the past several years. Having coached high school wrestling for 20 years, Harris took on creating GreenRush Team to begin efforts of unifying and including the diverse array of Georgia’s legalization stakeholders, and to encourage a “team approach” versus the divisive, competitive approach he saw beginning to happen in Georgia.
“You go to other places around the country, they are networking in this industry. They’re networking in Denver, in DC, in California. I wanted something like that to happen here in Georgia, where I’m from. Our goal in gathering inside the State Capitol tomorrow is to have a ‘show of unity’. This is a trillion dollar industry and we want to ensure minorities do not get left out of this economic opportunity.”
J’Lyn Furby, a Gulf War Era Veteran and Exercise Physiologist who has taken a stand for veterans’ health and wellness through her policy-making efforts wants to see veterans have equal access to what she sees will be an inevitable policy change within the Veterans Administration — and she is committed to getting the policy conversations rolling now rather than later. Furby is one of tomorrow’s speakers and has been actively involved in organizing events to highlight the issue amongst the cornucopia of medical cannabis advocates, activists, and organizations.
“The Veterans Administration spends millions in prescription drugs for veterans,” explains Furby, “many of whom are faced with serious vital organ damage from the extensive dosage of existing legal pharmaceuticals. Veterans deserve medical alternatives like cannabis with a proven track record of effectiveness. There’s no reason we can’t start having those conversations now in Georgia, so we can ensure all veterans have equal access to the kind of medical relief cannabis delivers.”
Georgia state legislators will also be speaking on the various policy options and ramifications as well as answering questions at tomorrow’s news conference and panel discussions. Several participating legislators were instrumental in convening the first statewide discussion on the legalization of medical cannabis oil in Georgia in past years. Sen. Harold Jones II (District 22) introduced Senator Bill 105 in 2017 and that legislation changed the punishment and sentencing structure for the possession of marijuana. Sen. Curt Thompson (District 5) introduced SB614 this year to authorize the legalization and regulation of marijuana in the state of Georgia.
In 2019 HB 213 co-authored and sponsored by Rep. John Corbett, Rep. Tom McCall, James Bell, Mike Pezo and by GA Rep. John Corbet . HB 324 also passed and was signed giving Georgians access to medical cannabis.