What is Jewish about Medical Marijuana?

Marijuana and its use for various medical conditions is still a complicated and often misunderstood subject. We’d love to believe that we’ve made progress in this arena, yet conflicting claims abound, and even the laws change dramatically depending on the state in which you live.

If you grew up in Atlanta, you may recognize the name Mona Freedman (Taft), my 5-ft., 2-inch, petite, high-heeled cousin, who was adored by everyone who knew her. Growing up in Northwest Atlanta and attending Northside High School, Mona was your all-around likeable personality who livened up a room whenever she entered it.

None of us could have imagined that Mona would ultimately take on Georgia’s state legislature and go down in history as a medical marijuana activist and lobbyist who is credited with getting the first law for the legal use of medical marijuana (in certain circumstances) passed.

The year was 1980. Mona had made a promise to her 32-year-old husband, Harris, and shared his dying wish, which was finally granted. Harris Taft was a musician and songwriter. Early on in their marriage, Harris was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In those days, the side effects from treatment were hard, if not impossible, to manage. After facing cancer for nine years and receiving debilitating chemotherapy, Harris made it clear that he would no longer endure the treatments he needed, which left him unable to sleep and feeling weaker. Following another round of therapy, a nurse shared with Mona that she had heard that marijuana might help with the nausea. After one joint, Harris slept soundly, his first full night’s sleep in six months. Tragically, a few days later, in June 1979, he passed away. Before Harris died, he made his wife promise to tell others how much peace it ultimately brought him.

Mona, not one to wait for progress, took matters into her own hands. She taught herself how to lobby, who to pursue and took it upon herself to take on the Georgia legislature. She traveled to Georgia’s capitol — then known as one of the most conservative legislatures in the South — and began to lobby legislators for a bill that would make it legal for cancer patients to use marijuana. Nothing about this was easy. Mona was told that she was crazy to take this on, that it couldn’t be done in one year — and certainly not in Georgia. At first, her efforts were smeared as a way of flooding the streets with drugs. 1979 was an election year, so a lot was at stake as Mona entered the fray of the political landscape. She set out to draft a bill that would allow cancer patients like her late husband to access medical marijuana.

Thanks to her persistence, passion and persuasive efforts, the Georgia Senate passed the bill with a 50-0 vote. Next, the House passed it, 158-6, and Governor George Busbee promised to sign it into law.

A 1980 article described the scene: “After the votes were counted, Sen. Paul C. Broun, D. – Athens, hugged Mona Taft. They wept, ‘You know,’ said Broun, ‘my wife just died of cancer.’ That such a law could be passed on the first try in Georgia, legislators agreed, was a testament to the perseverance and determination of Mona Taft, who lobbied more than half the members of the legislature for up to an hour each, beginning the day after her husband’s death. ‘That woman is a tiger,’ Gov. Busbee told aides after Mrs. Taft visited his office early in the session. But if the new law is a testament to the power of a determined lobbyist, it also is evidence of increasing realization in southern medical and political circles that marijuana can be an important tool in the battle against cancer and glaucoma.”

Mona created a music scholarship in Harris’s name at Georgia State University and devoted the remainder of her life to keeping his memory alive, though she, too, passed away too soon.

So what is the status of medical marijuana in Georgia today?

According to Georgia State Rep. Mike Wilensky, who represents Georgia’s 79th State House District in North DeKalb County and serves on the Regulated Industries Committee — the committee responsible for all regulated business and industries, including medical marijuana — “A couple of years ago a bill passed to legalize THC cannabis oil in Georgia, and recently 6 licenses were given to allow the manufacturing of marijuana plants for the production of THC oil. To get this THC oil you need a medical prescription from a doctor. The growing of marijuana, except for the companies with the licenses, is still illegal, and the only thing now that is legal is using medical cannabis oil with a prescription. However, the issue right now is there have been lawsuits filed regarding the licenses, so at this time there is no manufacturing happening in Georgia and no way to get the oil legally over state lines because of federal law. Even though the licenses have been given, they can’t move forward yet. The Regulated Industries Committee and Georgia Legislature must go back in and figure out what they’ll do with the licenses and adjust the law so we can get this vital medicine to Georgians who desperately need it.”

Wilensky added, “Everyone says they want this to move forward since this is vital for the Georgians who do desperately need this medication. I filed a bill last year to add Ulcerative Colitis to the list of diseases that the cannabis oil can be prescribed for [Crohn’s is already listed] and it passed in the House, but not the Senate. It is a challenging issue we’re working on, but we need to get it going as soon as possible.”