First District Veterans Forum

Georgia's First Congressional District is the proud home to four major military installations and it is a privilege for me to represent all five branches of the military.

In honor of the brave men and women who served our country, I will host a Veterans Forum in Savannah on Monday, May 13th, to bring together experts from veteran service organizations and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for a discussion on important issues that impact veterans and to offer assistance.

I hope you will join me and take advantage of the resources provided. Please do not hesitate to call my office in Savannah at 912-352-0101 for more information.

Changing the Schedule of Cannabis for Patients

In case you missed it, I recently wrote an article on NBC News with my friend Representative Earl Blumenauer from Oregon about the need to change the classification of cannabis to allow better research on its medical benefits. We're two members of Congress from different parts of the country with differing views on whether the recreational use of cannabis should be legalized. However, we’re committed to working together to deliver better treatments for patients across the nation who desperately need them. Changing the schedule of cannabis is an important place to start.

Click here to read our full article or catch up below:

Cannabis has been known to humans for thousands of years, and there is nearly universal support for medical cannabis: Over 90 percent of Americans believe that cannabis should be legalized for medical use, according to a Quinnipiac Poll. Currently, 33 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized cannabis for medical purposes, and states such as Georgia have acted to expand medical cannabis laws.

In Georgia, for example, patients can register with the Georgia Department of Health and receive a card allowing them to possess cannabis for medical reasons. However, it is illegal for anyone to grow, buy or sell cannabis in the state, making it difficult for registered patients to actually acquire it. Just recently, though, the Georgia Legislature passed a bill to allow for the growing, manufacturing, testing and distribution of medical cannabis to those who have been approved by their physicians.

However, as the legal status of medical cannabis continues to evolve and its use increases — and after many years of human cultivation — we still don’t have a full understanding of the plant’s medicinal benefits.

With the 2018 Food and Drug Administration approval of an oral cannabidiol (CBD) solution derived from the Cannabis sativa plant called Epidiolex for the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy — Lennox–Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome — there is conclusive evidence of at least a limited therapeutical nature of cannabis.

There is also some evidence of further benefits of the plant, but the federal government and congressional inaction have made additional research unnecessarily difficult.

A 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the health effects of cannabis found that “There are several challenges and barriers in conducting cannabis and cannabinoid research,” including “the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance, that impede the advancement of cannabis and cannabinoid research” and “the difficulty for researchers to gain access to the quantity, quality, and type of cannabis product necessary to address specific research questions on the health effects of cannabis use.”

In 2019, we believe there should be more medical options available outside of traditional therapies, and it’s troubling that the federal government is standing in the way of research to clearly determine the health benefits of cannabis. Cannabis could be a life-changing miracle for some patients, and we need the research to prove so, or to let patients know that they need to pursue a different treatment.

To address this situation for patients, we believe the first step is to change the schedule of cannabis. While the Drug Enforcement Administration has taken some action to address the restrictive class of some forms of cannabis, currently cannabis itself is still classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. This classifies cannabis with the likes of heroin, LSD and ecstasy.

The current schedule of cannabis brings about a number of challenges, including regulatory and supply issues. As long as it remains a Schedule I drug, we cannot properly study the effects or potential benefits of medical cannabis as the drug faces significant federal restrictions due to this classification: Under the current system, it is not recognized as a drug that would have any tangible medical benefits at all. And, researchers seeking to conduct clinical research must jump through several hoops to submit an application to the FDA and get approval from the DEA before starting their work.

Furthermore, all research efforts must go through the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the cannabis used must be sourced from their authorized facility. In 2016, the DEA announced that it would create a process to license additional manufacturers for research, but it has yet to approve a single application despite bipartisan congressional pressure.

In all, these additional hurdles create layers upon layers of bureaucratic red tape that must be overcome in order to even begin researching the medical benefits of cannabis.

While many of our colleagues in Congress may have differing opinions on the decriminalization of adult-use cannabis, we believe one thing on which we can all agree is the need to allow and facilitate better research into the drug’s potential medical benefits.

We’re glad to see the U.S. surgeon general shares this sentiment: He said in December that he has concerns about the difficulty of conducting research on cannabis because of the scheduling system, but it’s not enough. The federal government must get out of the way of science, and allow for the American people to access the information necessary to treat pain and potentially save lives, especially as the opioid epidemic is ravaging our communities.

We are two members of Congress from different parts of the country with differing views on whether the recreational use of cannabis should be legalized. However, we’re committed to working together to deliver better treatments for patients across the nation who desperately need them. Changing the schedule of cannabis is an important place to start.

From our Nation's Capitol CCIX

Monday, April 29, 2019: After an early morning flight from Savannah, I’m back in Washington this morning and, after being in the district for the past two weeks, I find my desk full of work and spend a few hours catching up. My first meeting of the day is with my good friend Andy Freeman from Atlanta who is chaperoning his son’s school trip to Washington this week.

Rep. Carter meeting with Andy Freeman

Andy formerly worked with the Georgia Pharmacists Association and now works for the American Cancer Society. Next, I meet with Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and representatives from Maggie’s List, a committee that raises awareness to increase the number of conservative women elected to federal public office. I am proud to be a Congressional partner of this group that takes their name from Margaret “Maggie” Chase Smith, the first woman elected to both chambers of Congress: House (1940-1948) and Senate (1948-1972). Later, we have our weekly staff meeting with lots to catch up on and afterwards I attend the First Tee Capitol Hill reception before heading to our weekly Whip Team meeting where we focus on H.R. 9, a bill being offered by the Democrats this week that will reverse President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Next, I head to the House Chamber where we have our first vote series of the day and afterwards, I pay tribute to Tech. Sgt. Cam Kelsh from Hunter Army Airfield who recently received the Silver Star award. A link to my tribute can be found here.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019: My first meeting this morning is our weekly GOP Conference where we also discuss H.R. 9, and hear from the Southwest Florida District Director of Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL), Enrique Padron, whose story of fleeing Cuba in 1994 as a young boy and finding freedom in America and now working for a United States Congressman is truly inspiring. A link to his op-ed describing his experience with socialism can be found here. Afterwards, I head to a Select Committee on Climate Change hearing on “Drawing Down Carbon and Building Up the American Economy” where we hear from business and industry representatives as well as those from academia. A link to my questions can be found here.

Rep. Carter meeting with the Community Bankers Association of Georgia

Afterwards, I head to an Energy and Commerce (E&C) Health Subcommittee hearing on “Prescription Drug Coverage in the Medicare Program” where we hear from Dr. James Mathews, Executive Director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. A link to my questions can be found here. Once back in my office, I meet with representatives from the Community Bankers Association of Georgia before heading to the House Chamber for our first and only vote series of the day. Next, I meet with Joe Binns and Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst regarding legislation that would create a revolving loan fund for communities to use for pre-disaster mitigation for flooding.

Rep. Carter filming a video discussing H.R. 9 and the Green New Deal

Afterwards, I head to the Capitol where I film a video on H.R. 9, which would be better named the Climate Disadvantage Act. A link to this video can be found here. Next, I head to the House Chamber where I speak on the House Floor about H.R. 9. A link to my comments can be found here.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019: After a meeting in my office with my friends from the Georgia Beverage Association, including Executive Director Kevin Perry and Savannah resident Rick Terrell, I head to the House Chamber with members of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce. With the members of the Chamber in the gallery, I honor the memory of long time St. Simons Island businessman and community supporter Roy Hodnett who passed away last week at the age of 98. A link to my tribute can be found here. I also have the opportunity during this time to honor a great Georgian and Glynn County icon, Woody Woodside, who is retiring this month after serving as President of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce for more than 30 years. A graduate of the Citadel, Woody dedicated his career to public service, working for 13 years for the First Congressional District of Georgia with Representatives ‘Bo’ Ginn and Lindsay Thomas before beginning his career with the Chamber. My tribute is made even more special with my good friend in the gallery. Without his work, Coastal Georgia would likely look very different than it does today. A link to my tribute can be found here.

Rep. Carter in the U.S. Capitol with members of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce

Afterwards, I head back to my office and meet with the National Association of Chemical Distributors before heading to a meeting of the conservative Republican Study Committee. Next, I head to the House Chamber for our first and only vote series of the day and then head to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing room where I testify before the full committee during member day. A link to my testimony can be found here. Afterwards, I head back to my office where I have a series of meetings beginning with the Georgia Farm Bureau county presidents including my good friends from Chatham County, former Georgia State Senator Ed Zipperer and Bloomingdale resident Pete Waller, as well as David Lee from Bacon County.

Rep. Carter meeting with Georgia Farm Bureau County Presidents

Next, I meet with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association including Whitt Hollowell from Coastal EMC, and then with the American Forest Foundation including Matilda Riles and Warren Waye, family forest owners from Midway. After meeting with my good friend from Brunswick, Dr. Pat Godbee, who is serving this year as President of the College of American Pathologists Association, I head to a meeting with Publix, where I learn that their first store outside of Florida was located in the First Congressional District of Georgia in Savannah.

Thursday, May 2, 2019: This morning, I attend a meeting of the Aspen Institute where we hear from former Iowa Governor and former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who discusses the economic decline experienced by rural America over the last quarter century. Later, I attend an energy innovation briefing with the Department of Energy (DOE) where we learn more about the clean and advanced energy research and development supported by DOE, including the National Labs. I found much of the information presented here to be amazing. A link to a particular graph describing the progress made by the United States in this area over the past few decades can be found here. Afterwards, I head to the House Chamber where we have our first and only vote series of the day.

Rep. Carter addressing the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce

Next, I head to a meeting with the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce to review their federal concerns and where I join Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue and my predecessor, former Congressman Jack Kingston, in honoring Woody Woodside. Later, I meet with the Southern Crop Producers Coalition and then with Knox Delaney and Ryan Saunders from St. Simons Island who are visiting the Capitol this week.