Atlanta’s Path to Marijuana Decriminalization

On September 11, 2017, community activist and former union representative Chris Brown, then a candidate for Atlanta City Council District 4, convened “The Town Hall” at the IBEW Auditorium in Southwest Atlanta.

The gathering brought together civic leaders, candidates, union leaders, faith-based organizations, and neighbors to address urgent issues, including affordable housing, government transparency, public safety, education, homelessness, voting suppression, and, most controversially, marijuana decriminalization.

Among the diverse voices present were:

•  Keith Gammage (Fulton County Solicitor General), whose office would help enforce misdemeanor reforms.
• State Representative Derrick Jackson, provided a state-level view of justice and cannabis law.
• Tom McCain of Peachtree NORML, offering a reform strategy rooted in national legalization efforts.
• Peter Aman (Atlanta Police Chief Administrative Officer), then Mayoral Candidate for Mayor of Atlanta, engaging directly on public safety and justice.
• Dr. Rasean Hodge, Georgia medical cannabis pioneer, highlighting patient access and health equity.
• Michelle Olympiotis (Former APS School Board Member), then candidate for Atlanta School Board, pointing to the long-term impact of criminal records on students and families.
• Greg Clay (Commissioner of City of Atlanta Constituent Services), community leader, grounding the debate in neighborhood realities.
• Brother Haroun of Street Groomers, representing grassroots organizing to protect and uplift Atlanta’s vulnerable communities.

This People’s Forum was more than a panel; it was a catalyst for change. Leaders, activists, and community members forged common ground that turned into political momentum.

Christopher “Chris” Brown is proof that significant change starts at home. Born and raised in Atlanta, Brown has been building bridges between local struggle and national policy wins for years, always keeping the community at the center of the mission.

In his city, Brown served as Co-Chair of the City of Atlanta Public Safety Commission, Public Safety Chair of the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board, a Neighborhood Planning Unit delegate, and the Atlanta City Council’s appointee to the Atlanta Citizens Review Board. He’s also brought his voice to the Mayor’s Progressive Agenda Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform , the Fulton County District Attorney Anti-Gang Council, and the Atlanta Public Schools community leadership circles.

In 2017, Brown organized “The Town Hall”, the convening that led to Atlanta’s marijuana decriminalization law, reducing penalties for possession under one ounce. That victory became a blueprint, inspiring similar reforms in 20 Georgia municipalities, including East Point, Georgia, home of Outkast, Goodie Mob, and the legendary Dungeon Family, where Brown’s organizing sealed another win for cannabis justice in 2023.

In 2018, he founded CARE for Georgia (Cannabis Access Reform and Education), which helped pass HB 324 in 2019 to legalize marijuana for the production low-THC oil cultivation, research, and safe patient access.

On the national stage, Brown served as the  National Director for the National Cannabis Party, now the United Empowerment Party, alongside rapper, cannabis pioneer, and co-founder Reggie “Redman” Noble. The Party would introduced the Cannabis Community Reinvestment Act in New York, ensuring legalization benefits flow back into the neighborhoods hit hardest by prohibition.

From Atlanta’s Westside to East Point’s music legacy, and from Georgia’s Gold Dome to national policy tables, Chris Brown is moving with one mission: empower the people, protect the culture, and make change that lasts.