Vol. 89, No. 25

VOL. 89 | NO. 25 04 / 19 / 22 EST. 1933

Independent, Impactful & Impartial

THE 4/20 ISSUE

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IN THIS ISSUE :

In Opinions: We discus the long history of cannabis Pg. 08

In sports: We talk about how former NBA star Al Harrington becomes a rising star in the cannabis business Pg. 12

georgiastatesignal.com @gsusignal

Editor’s Note Thank you so much to all of our readers and supporters, please enjoy our special 4/20 issue of The Signal -Deena

EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Deena Kayyali signaleditor@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR Erik Indrisano signalmanagingeditor@gmail.com MARKETING MANAGER Vacant signalmarketingmanager@gmail. com EDITORIAL NEWS EDITOR Adam Duffy signalnewseditor@gmail.com ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Vacant OPINIONS EDITOR Callie McNorton signalopinions@gmail.com ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR Vacant ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Desmond Leake signalliving@gmail.com ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Grace Braswell SPORTS EDITOR Malikai Collins signalsport1@gmail.com ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Vacant COPY EDITORS Emma Barrett Annalise Ray signalcopyeditor@gmail.com

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THE BLOTTER

April 19, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

CRIME BLOTTER

4-12

“Can’t we all just get along?!”

“You would think you would have heard them”

4-13

4-14

On Wednesday, a Georgia State-affiliated offender was arrested for simple battery. This occurred at Piedmont Central at 8:50 PM.

On Thursday, a nonGeorgia State-affiliated offender was arrested for money solicitation. This occured at the College of Law at 7:36 PM

On Tuesday, a Georgia State-affiliated person was the victim of larceny.

This occurred at Piedmont North at 1:38 PM.

“Your RA won’t be happy about that”

NEWS BRIEFS

On Wednesday, a Georgia State-affiliated person was the victim of larceny. This occurred at Library North at 3:50 PM.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

LOCAL

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

185 MPH tornado touches down in GA

Elon Musk moves to purchase Twitter

China’s economy shrinks in the face of COVID lockdowns.

On Apr. 4th, a tornado touched ground near the city of Pembroke, Georgia. The tornado’s winds reached a top speed of 185 MPH. This is the fastest tornado to touch down in the U.S. this year. The storm’s destruction left one woman dead and 12 others injured. The destruction of the storm could be felt from southern Georgia to the Metro-Atlanta area.

On Apr. 14th, Tesla founder and multibillionaire Elon Musk put down an offer to buy the social media platform Twitter.

At $54.20/share, the total comes out to $42 billion. Earlier this month, Musk purchased a sizable stake in the company and was put on its board of directors. Since Musk is presenting a relatively premium offer, the prospect of Twitter being sold to him is more likely than many may think.

China is locked down once again. The Asian superpower is adhering to its “COVID-zero” policy by shutting down major parts of its country. Residents are forced to stay in their homes while drones patrol the streets ensuring that they do so. These lockdowns have put a sour end to a 4.8% growth in the country’s economy in the 1st quarter of 2022. As the country continues to enforce strict lockdown policies, we can expect to see an increased strain on the consumer markets all across the world and specifically here at home.

NEWS

April 19, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

The possible Presidential runoff candidates Anthonio Prince(left) and Incumbent Ira Livnat(right).

PHOTOS FROM THE CANDIDATES

SGA election results are in, a runoff could ensue.

Bylaws contradiction could contest the results of SGA’s 93rd administration.

ADAM DUFFY News Editor

A

fter campaigning, debates and voting, the 202223 SGA elections have ended in some controversy at the top of the ballot.

The presidential race between Anthonio Prince, Ira Livnat and Kirsten McManus, and the Speaker of the Senate race between Jordan Madden, Tanjanae Walker and Qayla Shipp may be going to a runoff based on new information.

In the first round of votes, Prince was leading the race with 316 votes, 49.5% of the total vote.

Candidates Ira Livnat and Kristen McManus trailed behind with 209 (33%) and 113 (18%) votes, respectively.

Due to the ranked-choice voting system, the students that voted for McManus had their second-choice votes given to the respective candidates.

After the second round, Prince led with 359 or 61% of the votes. Livnat was the runner-up at 234 or 39% of the vote.

In the race for speaker, Jordan Madden led the first round of votes with 147 (47%) votes. Tanjanae Walker and Qayla Shipp trailed by a good margin with 98 (31%) and 68 (21%) votes, respectively.

When Shipp was eliminated, the second-choice votes balanced the field. The final tally amounted to 167 (56%) for Madden and 131 (44%) for Walker.

Based on the rules of ranked-choice voting, these races should have been declared in favor of Prince and Madden for president and speaker, respectively.

However, the SGA bylaws have clauses that contradict one another and question the validity of the results.

Title VIII:

The Election Code of the SGA bylaws lays out how votes are to be counted and considered for every elected position.

Article 10:

Election Results section A titled “Executive Races” states that the three executive offices, President, Executive-

Vice President and Speaker of the Senate, must receive a majority of the votes in the first round to be declared a winner.

Subsections a and b of that section go as follows “a. The winner of the races for executive positions (President, EVP, and Speaker) shall be determined by a majority of the first-choice votes for each position. b. A candidate must receive a majority of the first-choice votes to be declared the winner of the race.”

These clauses would indicate that neither Prince nor Madden received enough of the vote to be declared the winner.

Prince received a narrow 49.5% of the votes in the first round, while Madden received 47% of the vote.

The Livnat campaign has petitioned the SGA Judiciary to review the bylaws and determine whether a runoff election is necessary.

The judiciary will be meeting on Wednesday the 20th to make this decision. A potential runoff election would ensue within a week of their choice.

This runoff would open the polls for one day, allowing students to vote between Prince and Livnat for President and Madden and Walker for Speaker of the Senate.

This voting system has only been in place for this election and the previous year’s election. All executive positions in last year’s election were uncontested, so this wrinkle in the bylaws never came up.

Rest of the ballot:

Freshman Devi Patel ran uncontested for the office of Executive Vice-President.

In a statement to The Signal, Patel stated, “This appreciated role will further my knowledge of government, and my leadership experience will contribute meaningful ideas to better our school’s atmosphere!”

“My goals include: fortifying environmental preservation, increasing public safety, and strengthening inclusivity. With implementation, Panther Pride will reach an all-time high, and our students will flourish into the

best version of themselves.”

Multiple senators were also on the ballot. All but three undergraduate positions were filled in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Sydney Barrett, Donatella Iyamu, Vy Vu, Zacchary Patton, Aryan Pandey, Charles Jones, Logan Ridley and Alvin Navarre will serve as representatives for Georgia State’s largest field of study.

The one graduate senate seat for the College of Arts and Sciences remains vacant.

Senator Emerald Gibbs will maintain her spot as the undergraduate senator for the College of Nursing & Health Professions.

The two undergraduate and one graduate senate seats for the College of the Arts had no candidates.

The one undergraduate and two graduate seats for the College of Education & Human Development had no candidates.

The one undergraduate and one graduate seat for the School of Public Health also had no candidates.

In the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the one undergraduate senatorial seat between three candidates.

Joshua Anthony, Joseph Nguyen and Joyita Davis.

In a single round of vote counting, Anthony won the seat with 61% of the vote.

The one graduate seat for the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies remains vacant.

At the Robinson College of Business, two of the seven undergraduate senate seats were filled by Gabriel Mercado and Blanca Martinez.

Casey Francois fills the one graduate seat.

If students are interested in being a part of SGA, vacant senate seats can be filled at any time of the year. Go to pin. gsu.edu to apply, or drop by the SGA office on the 2nd floor of Student Center West.

When the SGA Judiciary board comes to a decision, we will update you on if and when a runoff election will take place.

5

THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022

Puff, puff, pass Changes in the use of marijuana in college-age student TARA WOODIN Staff Reporter

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hen COVID-19 forced college classes across the United States to go online, many students would spend most of their days isolated at home.

People began to enjoy more of their favorite vices to pass the time.

According to studies, many began eating more, drinking more alcohol and playing more video games and those who recreationally smoked weed started smoking more.

The 2021 report of an ongoing study on drug use in college-age individuals showed an increase in marijuana usage to 44% of college students in 2020. It showed alcohol consumption decreased in those same students.

How do Georgia State students compare?

According to a poll, students who did not smoke before COVID-19 continued not to smoke after classes went online and students were quarantined.

Their reasons for not smoking varied. Several were allergic.

Some said it made them tired. Some students said they did not smoke because it’s still illegal in Georgia, and they were drug tested at work.

One student said that doctors warned her of the long-term health benefits.

“I don’t smoke at all,” she said.

“I have friends who are professional doctors who have said that even though [it has[[ health benefits of it for certain issues, longterm use of it is not heavily emphasized by the media that it can cause guaranteed schizophrenia in older age.”

The percentage of Georgia State students polled who said they smoked was on par with the 44% national average.

Many who only smoked socially decreased in marijuana consumption and students who smoked frequently tended to increase their daily consumption.

Alcohol usage was even less common in the students polled.

Some students only smoke on the weekends so

that they could focus on school during the week, and some said they only smoke during the week because they work on the weekends.

Whatever the reasons, marijuana has become more common and socially acceptable in Georgia, especially in Atlanta, even though it still hasn’t been made legal.

Characters in movies and TV shows based in Atlanta regularly smoke. Some students didn’t even realize that it was illegal.

“I can’t walk down any street in Atlanta without getting a whiff of someone’s weed smoke,” said a Georgia State student.

“When I walk down the hall to get to my condo, even sometimes when I’m driving in my car, people [smoke] everywhere.

I didn’t even realize it wasn’t legal in this state until I heard the news that Georgia maybe passed the law to allow medical marijuana. It’s wild to me that it would still be illegal here.”

A study on marijuana and mental health recently published in the Clinical Psychology Review journal found preliminary evidence that it can help treat posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

Many students stated that they experienced PTSD and depression due to missing out on many of the milestones often achieved at this stage in their lives over the last two years of online classes.

“I missed prom, I [couldn’t] walk for graduation, and I missed out on getting acclimated into college my freshman year,” said another Georgia State student.

“It’s been really hard.

Weed helps calm me down.

It helps relieve the anxiety that I now have when I get in social situations.”

This fact is one of the reasons given in presenting the law to allow the use of medical marijuana.

These last two years have been hard on a lot of college-age people. As students try to regain a sense of normalcy, a little THC has helped ease them into it for some.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHEMAR DEBELLOTTE | THE SIGNAL

Medical marijuana bill falls short in state senate

Final decision is marred by controversy and met with outcry

O

PHILLIP DANIELS Staff Reporter

n Apr. 4, the Georgia Senate shot down a bill to legalize the production and manufacturing of medical marijuana through the cultivation and selling of cannabis and cannabis oil by a 28-27 decision.

The proposed bill would have granted companies the immediate ability to grow and sell cannabis.

Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler spoke on behalf of the companies lacking this privilege asking for “Everybody to have an opportunity to obtain a license.”

In addition to granting these companies the legal ability to produce cannabis, pre-approved patients would be able to legally purchase cannabis in the form of the herb and oil.

In 2015, Georgia doctors began approving patients for cannabis treatment. There are currently 22,000 patients approved and waiting for these treatments, but there is no infrastructure to fulfill these treatments.

Since the Senate bill was not passed, these patients will have to

wait even longer than the seven years they have up to this point.

The tabling of this bill isn’t the end of the story. While this legislation that would have allowed any licensed company to produce cannabis products for medical treatments did not pass, it gave a special exception to six corporations.

This exception would allow only these companies to cultivate and sell cannabis.

The Senate selected these companies from a bid that was done in secrecy and recorded on redacted documents. The Senate selected the six companies at the discretion of Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and Speaker of the House David Ralston.

The six corporations that received the exclusive ability to cultivate and sell cannabis have not been released to the public yet.

This fact has made it difficult for those in the media and the public to investigate the motives behind the selection process.

This legislation has led to

an outcry from the public and businesses that were not on this exclusive list.

This ordeal has led to investigations into the Medical Marijuana Commission of Georgia and potential ties between certain elected officials and marijuana manufacturers.

While marijuana remains illegal in every capacity within Georgia, the peach state is still a large consumer of the drug.

This fact is especially true in the metro-Atlanta area. Nonviolent drug offenses also remain relatively high.

The unrestricted right for companies to produce cannabis in a medical context is seen as the first step toward the total legalization of marijuana.

As long as the bureaucracy behind these decisions remains opaque, tens of thousands of patients will go without treatment and thousands more will face the wrong side of the law for their actions.

OPINIONS

April 19, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/OPINIONS

PHOTO BY TRENT LEGASPI | THE SIGNAL

THC v. CBD

The different uses of THC and CBD

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GABBY MILLER Staff Columnist

henever someone thinks about the plant Marijuana, they think about the process of getting high.

However, what if I can tell you this plant has two different compounds that have different effects from each other.

THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is a compound that gets someone to go high. This plant is the “weed” everyone talks about. It is not the plant as a whole. This compound gets someone to go high if they take it.

CBD or Cannabidiol is another compound that is taken from marijuana. However, it is taken for different purposes.

Unlike THC, CBD does not get you high. Instead, it has a different effect that helps a person’s body to relax.

THC and CBD create two different products for a person’s intake.

CBD has gels, supplements, gummies, and oils for a person’s input .

In contrast, THC has smokeable products, oils, tinctures, edibles, and capsules.

When we’re talking about weed, people are talking about THC. THC, as said in the beginning, is a compound that can make a person high.

Many people smoke or take THC for recreational uses when it comes to marijuana.

While smoking is the most common thing when we think about smoking weed. THC has different things that a person can taketo get high.

The second most common method is eating edibles. An edible is something you can eat that has THC laced into it.

The most common edible you may have heard about is the pot brownie. By eating edibles, someone can get high without smoking anything.

It is a sound effect when someone prefers not to smoke. Whether it is because of asthma or a worry about smoking anything in your lungs, you have different ways to take THC. CBD has a different way when it comes to recreational use. CBD is most commonly used to help someone’s anxiety.

Many people who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses go to CBD. CBD is different because it does not get people high as THC does.

CBD is common for people who are constantly in high-stress situations. For example, those who are in school or have stressful jobs,

these people go to CBD. CBD is famous for not showing up when you have to take a drug test.

Even though it comes from the same plant that THC comes from, CBD has a more subtle effect than THC. THC and CBD’s final differences have something to do with their side effects. While CBD has no side effects, THC has a few. It has something to do with getting high off of THC.

“

Unlike THC, CBD does not get you high. Instead, it has a different effect that helps a person’s body to relax.

— GABBY MILLER

”

Staff Columnist

When someone takes THC, they might get the following: dry mouth, red eyes, slower response times, general feeling of being high, memory loss, issues with coordination, and an increased heart rate.

It is essential to know the differences between CBD and THC. CBD is safer to take than THC because it helps with anxiety and depression.

While THC has the same benefits, sometimes, if you want to feel less anxious without a positive drug test result or a risk of getting high, CBD is the safer route to take.

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022

7

Delta-8: the new nicotine

Delta-8 may be enticing, but is it worth the possible health risks?

D LUIZA DE ABREU

Staff Columnist

id you know weed is recreationally legal in all fifty states?

That’s right, all fifty states.

It’s called Delta-8. The new, legal vaping trend.

I know what you’re thinking. There’s no way its a natural weed.

Oh, but it is, and you can find it in any old smoke shop in most states.

Delta-8 and Delta-9 are both naturally occurring tetrahydrocannabinol in the cannabis plant.

The difference between the two is that Delta-8 is a THC compound that causes a very mild high. It differs from Delta-9 THC in that it activates different cell receptors in the human body.

“

Although Delta-8 is a more convenient choice for many, it is also risky. With so little research done, we cannot know if it is safe to use.

— LUIZA DE ABREU

”

Staff Columnist

Both Delta-8 and Delta-9 bind to CB1 and CB2 cell receptors, but

New Delta 8 3CHI wax products with an array of flower and shatter.

while Delta-9 binds to our brain receptors, Delta-8 binds more closely to the receptors in our immune system.

Delta-9 is the most common type of weed smoked and is illegal recreationally. It is more potent than Delta-8, and most of the THC that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant is Delta-9.

This fact makes it easier to extract than Delta-8, so it’s more commonly smoked.

Delta-8, however, is not nearly as potent.

For people who don’t want to experience an intense high, the milder effects of Delta-8 are very appealing.

We don’t know much about Delta 8 THC. Due to its popularity only recently increasing, little to no research about it or its possible adverse effects.

In fact, between Dec. 1, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2022 , the FDA received 104 reports of adverse effects in patients who consumed Delta-8 THC products.

There is already so little research about Delta-9 THC it is not shocking that this new trend of Delta-8 has even less study conducted.

Many students at Georgia State have picked up the habit of smoking Delta-8 vapes, as it is not as addictive as nicotine and not as strong as Delta-9.

A Georgia State sophomore who did not wish to be identified said, “I really like Delta-8. It gives me a relaxed buzz, but it doesn’t make me too high. I can smoke and go about my day without feeling super stoned and unproductive.”

Another appealing factor of Delta-8 is that it is legal. You don’t have to worry about getting caught with Delta-8 on you in Georgia, which lessens the fear and anxiety around using weed.

It’s also a cheap alternative to Delta-9. Delta-9 carts can be pricey and come with the risk of being caught with an illegal substance.

Although Delta-8 is a more convenient choice for many, it is also risky. With so little research done, we cannot know if it is safe to use.

When it comes to smoking any vape, it is wisest to steer clear. Delta-8 may be enticing, but is it worth the possible health risks?

That is up to you to decide.

PHOTO BY ELSA OLOFSSON ON UNSPLASH.COM

Spread: Opinions WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/OPINIONS

Cannabis has a long history What’s up with the stigma?

Kalin M. Williams - Staff Columnist

W

ith millions of cannabis users across the U.S., that there still exists a negative stigma about the use of the plant is disheartening.

Many view users as “drug addicts” or “lazy” and unproductive. Where did these ideas come from, especially considering that written history dates cannabis plant usage back to 3000 B.C.?

Studies suggest that the plant had been casually grown, traded, sold and used even earlier than 3000 B.C. Rome, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, China, Korea and other well-known empires and wellresearched tribal groups have documented the use of cannabis, and in the case of China, its use goes back at least 5000 years.

With such widespread historical use, ganja, the Hindu word for marijuana, affectionately known in the United States as ‘weed,’ would be a well-accepted, minor, certainly non-incident causing a tiny inconsequential facet of human life in the west.

However, the number of people in the United States imprisoned due to possession or use of marijuana tells a different story.

I decided to look for occurrences of the first known bans on cannabis use. In doing so, I discovered that in 1378, the Emir of the Joneima in Arabia, Soudoun Sheikouni, put forth the first recorded prohibition of marijuana.

After ordering the destruction of all hemp plants in the region, this guy required forced removal of every tooth in one’s mouth for anyone found guilty of ingesting cannabis.

Ironically, in less than 20 years, the use of the plant increased in Arabia.

Napoleon banned his soldiers from using it after he invaded Egypt in the late 1790s. Religious restrictions imposed in Egypt prohibited the use of alcohol.

Napoleon’s soldiers used cannabis in place of alcohol and highly enjoyed it.

Egyptian coffee shops were shut down, and their owners were incarcerated for making drinks that contained cannabis.

In The Community’s Response to Drug Use, Stanley Einstein writes that in 1840 and 1870, respectively, British Mauritius and British-controlled Singapore imposed similar restrictions, particularly on enslaved peoples and indentured workers. However, the bans on marijuana were in effect for the entire colony.

The imposition of restrictions and the criminalization of marijuana’s use has continued globally, with various nations enacting legislation throughout the 20th century to punish the use of this herb.

Today, even as legislation worldwide has swung in favor of marijuana use and has tended to lessen the harsh effects of draconian legal measures against it.

The ideas that those who use it are somehow intellectually disadvantaged or socially unfit are problematic.

In addition, arguments that posit cannabis use as immoral can’t be taken seriously given the subjective nature of culture, ethics and even medical practices.

Personal research is a great way to advance one’s knowledge, resolve internal conflicts and correct the biased, often erroneous ideas one may have about cannabis.

I’d suggest this as a starting point to dispelling one’s held myths about this highly misunderstood and greatly polarizing topic.

LAYOUT BY EVAN KOENIGS & PHOTOS BY TRENT LEGASPI | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/ARTSANDLIVING

Snoop Dogg performing live in Detroit Michigan with a weed leaf behind him.

April 19, 2022

PHOTO BY J. A. DUNBAR ON SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The blunt truth about marijuana in music How today’s artists are promoting weed through music GRACE BRASWELL Associate Arts & Living Editor

F

rom Willie Nelson to Lady Gaga, all the way to Snoop Dogg and Kacey Musgraves, artists of all different musical genres have discussed their love of weed throughout their music. Despite the legal state of the mind-altering substance, weed is heavily peppered all throughout pop culture, with its popularity prevailing within the music industry.

Weed, or marijuana, is a plant that when smoked, can cause an impaired form of thinking that alters a person’s brain, coordination skills and slows down reaction time. As a result of this impaired way of thinking, weed is known for sparking creativity and making it easier for artists to open their minds and create music that they might not have thought to make in a sober state.

All throughout history, artists have used marijuana recreationally to help enhance their creative process.

One of the most influential weed-smoking icons, Willie Nelson, has been smoking pot and writing music for decades, telling music magazine “Rolling Stone” that “Marijuana saved my life” sixty-five years after the country artist smoked his first joint.

Throughout his music, Nelson references his use and love for marijuana, tying the drug into his love life, his music and his career. Songs like “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” and “It’s All Going to Pot” are just a few of Nelson’s song’s referencing weed. The country artist writes lyrics such as “all the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee just couldn’t hit the spot. I gotta hundred-dollar bill, you can keep your pills, friend, it’s

all going to pot,” which shows his favor towards weed as opposed to other substances such as alcohol or pills.

On 4/20 at 4:20, Nelson hosted a livestream variety show titled “Come and Toke It,” which lasted four hours and forty minutes. All throughout the livestream, Nelson hosted a plethora of musical artists, marijuana experts and more to come and discuss the use of marijuana, as well as promoting the use of weed.

The livestream benefited the Last Prisoner Project, which fights against the criminalization of drug use and looking to reimagine drug policies in America. As someone who has been arrested for marijuana in the past, Nelson is a big supporter of the decriminalization of weed.

When artists such as Snoop Dogg come up in conversation, a lot of the time it has something to do with weed. The rapper and marijuana go hand in hand, and Snoop is not afraid to let his love of weed be known to the world.

Within his music, Snoop Dogg references weed numerous times, especially in songs such as “Smoke the Weed” and “Smoke Weed Everyday,” two songs continuously referenced in pop culture.

Country artist and advocate for the use of Marijuana Kacey Musgraves continuously promotes the use of weed through platforms such as Instagram and twitter, as well as writing about the substance in a lot of her songs.

Musgraves is an avid advocate for doing whatever feels the best in life, and for her, one of the best

feelings in the world is a marijuana high. In “Follow Your Arrow,” featured on Musgrave’s first album “Same Trailer, Different Park,” Musgraves promotes doing whatever you want in life, because no matter what path you choose, someone is always going to judge.

Musgraves uses the line “when the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, roll up a joint, or don’t,” as a way to justify that no matter what happens, it’s best to just do whatever you want, even if that means rolling up a joint.

Weed and the use of marijuana is extremely prevenient in pop culture, especially here in Atlanta.

It is almost guaranteed that you’ll get a whiff of burning marijuana when walking down the street on Edgewood, strolling on the beltline or even in restaurants such as Jack’s pizza. As a significant amount of this centuries top rappers are from Atlanta or reside in the Atlanta area, it is exceptionally normalized for marijuana use to be a main topic in a significant amount of rap songs coming out of the Atlanta area.

Rappers such as Donald Glover, better known for his stage name “Childish Gambino,” promotes the use of weed throughout his music, in interviews and in his television show named after Atlanta. All throughout the TV show, the main characters are seen lighting up joints in various places around Atlanta. A majority of the TV show’s episodes include weed in one way or another, which is on brand for characters based in the city of Atlanta.

ARTS&LIVING

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022

11

Delta 8 - the legal high

How Delta-8 offers a legal alternative to marijuana DARREN LANG Staff Reporter

N

OTE: Due to the stigma surrounding drug use and its legality the quotes in this article will be anonymous.

accessible, I can get it at a hookah shop, and I feel relatively safe doing it. It’s less stressful than linking with dealers.”

However, does it get you high? Legality comes with skepticism, especially since Weed, marijuana , gas, Delta-8 is not weed.

THC, kush or whatever People who use the else you may call it, is substance describe it as a illegal. Despite being lighter high (depending on decriminalized here in the dose), one that is more in Atlanta, weed is still illegal the body and less in mind. that can hold consequences Users may call it calming, for its possession. with less paranoia that The campaign to legalize someone might experience this drug is a strong one from consuming weed. as history has shown “Delta-8 has been super its illegality as a tool to helpful in calming anxieties incarcerate people of color and fear, both when out in throughout history. public and when going to I hope this article and its sleep … In social situations, note of weed as an illegal it also keeps my thoughts substance will be outdated more at bay, and I’m able soon. However, that is not to be more present [at] our present day. Here lies the moment; as well as the appeal of a different (yet productive.” incredibly similar) drug to However, Delta-8 can weed: Delta-8. become incredibly intense Delta-8 THC (or Deltaat higher doses, becoming 8-tetrahydrocannabinol) quite close to the high one comes from the same might get from weed. cannabis plants as weed “It gets me really,really and hemp, though in small gone, and there’s no level traces. of control. It also makes me really sleepy the next morning.”

With Delta-8 being legal many will conclude that it’s safer than weed.

However, that is not the case. The main concern with Delta-8 and its products is the lack of research and information.

It’s impossible to know all the contents, and people will find impurities and high levels of THC. Due to the lack of knowledge, New York and Colorado have restricted the market until more is known about the substance.

There are also benefits to its use, including mental health, with its ability to — DARREN LANG calm nausea and anxiety in users.

The longevity of Delta-8 Staff Reporter is up for debate. With so The difference between much unknown about the Delta-8 and weed is two substance, many will stick molecules that slightly alter with weed. the effects. Due to these If states legalize weed, two molecule differences, an even smaller Delta-8 Delta-8 is not weed and market will exist. Yet with legal across the country. its far more mellow high This fact has led to a and accessibility, Delta-8 spike in its sales and lacks has a chance to continue consequence in the eyes its growth, maintaining its popularity here on campus. of the law. “D8’s pretty

“

Yet with its far more mellow high and accessibility, Delta-8 has a chance to continue its growth

”

A view from behind bars while in legal limbo due to weed legislation.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW ANSLEY ON UNSPLASH.COM

Marajuana decriminalization thousands still in legal limbo

The legal turmoil in the wake of legalization and decriminalization JORDAN ARNOW Staff Reporter

I

t is estimated that as many as 40,000 Georgians have charges for possession.

Georgia remains one of the few states without any level of statewide decriminalization of marijuana possession.

Both Doraville and Atlanta have decriminalized possession of smaller amounts of marijuana.

However, when only selectively decriminalized, officers have a chance to charge someone on a state level when charged with other crimes in addition to possession. Effectively, an officer can choose to bypass decriminalization.

Many supporters of decriminalization emphasize the potential financial benefits of decriminalization. Jon Gettman estimated yearly costs of marijuana law enforcement to be upwards of $7.6 billion per year.

However, financial benefits are not the whole story. This does not account for social costs. Police

have to dedicate manpower to enforcement. As we face a spike in crime, such manpower could be key for preventing and prosecuting violent crimes.

Minor drug convictions also people are pulled from their lives, their families and their jobs in order to serve time. Even then, the difficultly doesn’t end once time is served or, if lucky, they are pardoned. Former inmates can face discrimination in housing, employment, adoption, and more.

Such roadblocks to returning to everyday life enforces a ‘once a criminal, always a criminal’ mentality and prevents reacclimation.

This doesn’t even account for those whose charges were classified as felonies which results in loss of certain rights. In conjunction with the trend of over policing of people of color, the impact of incarceration for minor marijuana charges perpetuates a cycle of poverty and struggle.

As Birmingham Mayor Randall Woofin put it, “No one should be held up by a single past mistake.

No one should be denied job opportunities or freedoms due to missteps from the past,”.

Difficulties don’t stop there, unfortunately. Many states require inmates to petition the courts for resentencing, expungement, and/ or sealing of records.

While some states have placed provisions for automatic expungement, these usually have limitations such as only applying to charges within certain years.

In North Dakota, the Governor’s Office estimated in 2019 that as many as 175,000 are eligible for relief while, only a few hundred utilized the relief that year.

Groups such as the Last Prisoner Project are fighting to help inmates cut through the mass of red tape, but, as it stands, hundreds of thousands are facing consequences from charges that have since been decriminalized.

SPORTS

April 19, 2022

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From crushing backboards to crushing kush Former NBA star Al Harrington becomes a rising star in the cannabis business JASON RICHBURG Staff Reporter

A

fter a successful 16-year basketball career, former NBA player Al Harrington has now taken a new career path by forcing his way into the cannabis game.

Since his official retirement from basketball in 2016, Harrington’s cannabis brand has become a hot topic in the industry.

Named Viola after his grandmother Viola Harrington, the business has become one of the largest black-owned cannabis brands in the country.

Harrington’s Backstory:

Founded in 2011, the Viola brand has taken a long path to get to where it is today.

Harrington, an Orange, New Jersey-native has always been around cannabis.

As a youth, Harrington was hesitant to smoke the Devil’s Lettuce, as some like to call it, due to the stories he heard that smoking weed would lead to smoking crack.

Then when he entered the NBA in 1999 at 18, to Harington’s surprise, he reencountered it with his teammates on the Indiana Pacers.

After staying away from the substance in the NBA, Harrington tried the drug for the first time back in 2007 as a member of the Golden State Warriors after they were bumped from playoff contention.

Harrington was paranoid at first and thought the cops would come banging on his door or even worse die, after he smoked and would stay away from it But while playing for the Denver Nuggets in 2012, Harrington, an avid newspaper reader, read about how cannabis helps people who experience seizures and epilepsy.

Along with seeing that, Harrington saw that it helped people living with HIV and cancer and how it helped reduce their struggles in everyday life.

Viola Harrington:

The true inspiration for Harrington’s cannabis empire is his loving grandmother Viola Harrington,

Former Atlanta Hawk Al Harrington attends the BET Player Awards.

who the company is named after.

Harrington’s grandmother had a long battle with glaucoma, an eye condition that damages the optic nerve and leads to blindness.

One day Harrington suggested cannabis to his grandmother to help with her glaucoma after seeing all the pharmaceuticals she had to take.

At first, she was hesitant and told Harrington she was “not smoking no reefa,” but eventually gave it a try.

A few hours later, Harrington checked on her and saw his grandmother with tears coming down her face and saw she was reading her Bible, something she had not been able to do in three years.

NBA Endorsement:

Harrington has had a plethora of endorsements since the launch of the Viola brand from the NBA community.

Former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, who are now hosts of the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast on Showtime, were once teammates of Harrington and have been highly supportive.

Historic NBA stars of the past have also liked the brand, such as NBA legend and basketball culture icon Allen Iverson.

Iverson liked the brand so much that back in 2021, he announced he was an official partner with the Viola brand.

“I’ve had [many] people approach me with business opportunities, but this one with Al was different,” Iverson said.

“After seeing how devoted he is to this business and educating me on how beneficial the plant is, it just felt right. I’m excited to be a part of it. Together, we’re about to change the game.”

Harrington having a partnership with a legend and a friend in Iverson is as big as an endorsement Harrington will ever get.

In that same year, Iverson collabed with the Viola brand and launched his first strain named ‘96

dedicated to the year Iverson was drafted.

Currently, the legend is on his second partnership with Viola and has launched another strain named ‘IVERSON ‘01.’

The company launched the strain exclusively in areas of Detroit and is a mixture between F1 Durban, Gushers and Runtz.

“I’m excited to continue the partnership with my brother Al and bring our newest strain to Detroit,” Iverson announced. “Everything I do is for the fans, and this is no different.”

Viola’s Future:

Currently, the Viola brand is stronger than ever and breaking barriers.

In 2021, Viola became the first multinational blackowned cannabis brand as it expanded to Canada.

Avicnna, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company, announced that they would distribute Viola products across the maple nation.

“We’re excited to launch in Canada with our partner Avicanna, who shares our vision to increase representation and promote equity within the cannabis industry,” Harrington announced. “And look forward to having Viola’s premium products available at Medical Cannabis by Shoppers.”

In 2022 the Viola brand has closed in on $13 million equity fund. This fund allows the brand to expand to states such as Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey and Maryland.

These big moves shed light on Viola and other black owned cannabis dispensaries.

For so long black Americans have been on the negative side of the cannabis industry. That usually involves a prison cell as they are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested on marijuana charges than any other racial group.

In an industry that Black Americans have pioneered, it’s great to see black Americans on the business side of marijuana and changing the stigma of cannabis in their community.

PHOTO BY KOBBYDAGAN ON DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022

13

Women’s

Upcoming Games

VS. Georgia Tech

Men’s

Home Game vs Troy @ Bob Heck Softball Complex 04 / 20 / 22 6:00 p.m.

NFL players celebrating together the new rules about cannabis.

VS. Louisiana

Beach

Home Game vs University Of Louisiana @ GSU Baseball Complex 04 / 22 / 22 6:00 p.m.

VS. Coastal Carolina

Away Game @ Coastal Carolina University 04 / 23 / 22

TBA

PHOTO BY STEVE JACOBSON ON SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Major sports leagues scale down punishment for marijuana

NFL among other leagues promoting treatment plans for players who have positive marijuana test ADEBANJI BAMIDELE Staff Reporter

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pr. 20, 2022, marks two years in which the NFL has stopped banning players for testing positive for Delta 9-THC carboxyl acid commonly found in cannabis.

The policy change is becoming the new norm across all major leagues and collegiate institutions as there is wider availability of treatment and education on drug use.

With the conclusion of the 2019 season, the National Football League Players Association and the National Football League decided on a new collective bargaining agreement for the next decade.

Within the new CBA was the new drug policy that the NFL will limit the testing period to only the first two weeks of training camp and increase the minimum for a positive test from 35 nanograms of THC to 150 nanograms.

The new policy also saves players from being suspended for a failed drug test, as the NFL wants to take a rehabilitation approach when dealing with players who test positive.

Any player that tests positive will be subject to review by a board of medical professionals that will prescribe clinical care and treatment.

Previously when a player tested positive the first time, it would result in a referral to an abuse program, and with a second positive test, players are withheld two game checks.

The NCAA has also recently amended its drug policy; as of February, they have lifted their THC threshold from 35 nanograms to 150.

“Reconsidering the NCAA approach to cannabis testing and management is consistent with feedback from [the] membership on [better supporting and educating] student-athletes in a society with rapidly evolving public health and cultural views,” Dr. Brian Hainline, NCAA Chief Medical Officer, said.

Collegiate athletes who were suspended for half of a season due to a positive test are now given the opportunity, similar to the NFL, to follow management and educational plans provided by their respective institution.

In the realm of basketball, the NBA has suspended marijuana testing for the current 2021-22 season, much to the player’s joy.

With the relaxation of weed testing, Commissioner Adam Silver wanted the public to know that just because there was not any testing that

the use of marijuana should still be used responsibly.

“When we change our policy, we have to be careful because we’re clearly sending a message to young people,” Silver said.

“Like with alcohol, you have to teach young people how to use a substance appropriately and responsibly, so it doesn’t overwhelm your life.”

Like the NBA, the MLB has removed marijuana from the list of banned substances, granting freedom for players to use during the season and having the necessary treatment and programs for players that test positive for other substances.

As treatment programs are incorporated into the major sports leagues, the NFL has funded $1 million in research to the University of Regina and UC San Diego to investigate cannabinoids and their effect on pain management and neuroprotection from concussions.

The results of this study and cannabis as a whole could lay the foundation for the NFL and all sports leagues as an alternative to traditional medical treatment.

The Kickback

April 19, 2022

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UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY

GSU’s Collegiate Recovery Community Coffee Connection 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

CRC Room

Earth Week Atlanta Campus Fair 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Urban Life Plaza

Lavender Graduation 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Veteran’s Memorial Hall

BSA Block Party 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Urban Life Building

GSU Earth Day Cleanup 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Alumni Office

SUNDAY APR 24

SATURDAY

Field Day 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Center Parc Stadium

MONDAY APR 25

Wind Orchestra and Concert Band Performance 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Rialto Center for the Arts

Battleship Tournament 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Student Rec Center

APR 22

THURSDAY APR 21

WEDNESDAY APR 20

TUESDAY

APR 23

APR 19

THE KICKBACK

Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Kopleff Recital Hall

GSU Carnival 7:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Green Lot

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022

THE KICKBACK

15

GAMES SUDOKU

GAMES WORD FIND

BONG CANNABIS DOOBIE HEMP HIGH MARYJANE POT STONED WEED

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