State Representatives Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia), Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), Sandra Scott (D-Rex) and State Senator Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) recently attended the Evolution of Marijuana Policy Summit hosted by the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL) in Denver, Colorado. The NWFL hosted a group of 30 elected women who are considering marijuana-related legalization in their state or municipality or in states where legalization has already been established.

“This was my first time attending a NFWL event, and the Evolution of Marijuana Policy Summit provided so much valuable information to bring back to Georgia,” said Rep. Kendrick. “The knowledge gained from this summit will help Georgia’s legislators navigate this new cannabis regulatory world in terms of best practices, taxes and any number of issues. I certainly look forward to sharing what I learned with my colleagues at the State Capitol.”

“It was great working with women legislators from across the country to learn more about the uses for medicinal marijuana,” said Rep. Bennett. “I am excited to see how this information will guide us during the 2020 legislative session.”

“I finally have a good understanding of the difference between cannabis and hemp from a medical standpoint,” said Rep. Scott. “I am so happy to know that people are able to alleviate some of the pain from certain ailments.”

“The NFWL policy conference brought another level of medical understanding as to how this product can help so many incurable diseases,” said Sen. Anderson. “As vice chair of the GLBC [Georgia Legislative Black Caucus], we are concerned about illnesses that plague the black community, including sickle cell and lupus which could be included in our legislation. Additionally, Federal regulations are needed to test and monitor distributors.”

A two-day summit was held August 15 – 16 in Denver, Colorado. The NFWL hosted the summit to address marijuana-related state policy issues that are unfolding in real time in legislatures across the country. The summit’s presentations addressed the evolution of marijuana-related policy in state legislatures, an overview of cannabis and commercial cannabis operations, as well as a session to discuss tax structure and budget forecasting for states with new cannabis industries.