March 30, 2024.. I lost Rick, my childhood mentor to fentanyl. He had fought bravely against his addiction and was three years sober before he passed away. His story is tragically common, but it doesn't have to be.

Addiction is not a crime. It is a medical condition — one that can be cured, not just managed. Yet in Georgia, we spend $25,185 per year to jail people struggling with addiction. People who need help, not handcuffs.

For just $7,400 per person, we can provide comprehensive treatment through the Lazarus model — a four-stage program (Assessment, Interruption, Restoration, Integration) that addresses the root causes of addiction, not just the symptoms. The money already exists in drug asset forfeiture revenue seized by the state. The drug trade can pay for its own cleanup.

The Georgia Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation Act (GA-ARRA) would: • Decriminalize simple possession • Defer prosecution for nonviolent drug offenses with charges held in abeyance • Fund treatment through forfeiture revenue — no new taxes • Provide dismissal and expungement upon certification of completion • Treat 3,040 people per year statewide at current forfeiture levels

This isn't politics. It's math. $7,400 to cure vs. $25,185 to jail. The choice is obvious.

Sign this petition to tell the Georgia legislature: cure addiction, don't punish it.