Medical marijuana study committee; Macon Pride Week; Org. rescues former lab chimps

Summary

Georgia Today — September 25, 2025

Host: Orlando Montoya (GPB News)
Episode Focus:

• Georgia's Medical Marijuana Policy and Legislative Review
• Macon Kicks Off Pride Week with Community Art and Events
• Fate of Retired Laboratory Chimpanzees in Georgia

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into three central stories shaping Georgia’s landscape: a legislative look at medical marijuana policy, Macon's vibrant Pride Week celebration, and the unique challenges and rewards of rehoming former laboratory chimpanzees. Along the way, the episode also touches briefly on state Medicaid policy, environmental concerns regarding wildlife, maternal health initiatives, and community development.

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Key Topics and Insights

1. Medical Marijuana in Georgia: Policy and Critique

[02:38–03:30]

• The Georgia House Blue Ribbon Study Committee met at Mercer University in Macon to review the state's medical marijuana policy.

• Georgia’s first medical marijuana law is now a decade old, but access is still extremely limited: only six licensed producers, and only for patients with severe or terminal illnesses.

• Micah Gravelly, a former state representative who co-sponsored the original bill, advocated for expansion, emphasizing the frustration patients face in accessing medical cannabis.

  “I carried the bill and my own father doesn't even know and he doesn't even qualify.”
  — Micah Gravelly [03:16]

• Educational and advertising provisions for medical marijuana were deliberately excluded prior to the bill’s passage, limiting public awareness.

Memorable Moment: Gravelly’s reflection on his father’s inability to access medical marijuana—despite his own role in passing the law—highlighted the gap between legislative intent and practical access.

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2. Macon Pride Week: Building Community Through Art

[03:30–04:31]

• Macon launches a four-day Pride Week, starting with an art exhibit at the Tubman African American Museum highlighting LGBTQ leaders.

• The “Unity Project,” a community yarn art piece, allows participants to connect their personal identities (e.g., “I'm gay,” “I'm a Macon native,” “I'm an ally”) literally and figuratively.

  “Each person who strings a piece of colored yarn across their identifiers will cross other strands to show how our own individual experiences, our life paths kind of come together and creates this beautiful network of community.”
  — Ty Battle, Macon Pride board [04:25]

• The Unity Project will feature at Sunday’s annual “Pride in the Park” street fair, closing out the week’s celebration.

Memorable Moment: The host and Ty Battle emphasize the visual and symbolic representation of their intertwined community experiences through the Unity Project.

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3. Retiring Lab Chimps: Sanctuary at Project Chimps

[08:59–11:46]

• US laboratories have stopped experimenting on chimpanzees, but many remain in lab environments, ill-equipped for the wild and in need of sanctuary.

• Chris Dyer, a behaviorist at Project Chimps in Blue Ridge, Georgia, helps former lab chimps adjust to group life and new socialization challenges.

  “These guys can't go back into the wild. … Some of them have never, they've never touched grass.”
  — Grant Blankenship (reporting) [08:59]

• Chimps from the New Iberia Research Center are being integrated into established groups through careful, gradual introductions.

  “Coming from a lab, they may not always have the best chimpanzee communication skills.”
  — Chris Dyer [09:23]

  “We need to slowly integrate these guys into our larger group. … Chimps can be very territorial. They have alliances. They need to build friendships.”
  — Grant Blankenship [09:56]

• Observations of chimp behavior (“We play chase. They were doing the follow the leader…”) signal successful integration steps.

  “All of their vocals and all of the behaviors today were telling me that this is going very well for these two chimps.”
  — Chris Dyer [11:38]

Memorable Moment: The careful, hopeful process of two chimps—Kirk and Adam—learning to play and socialize together after years in isolation.

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Supplementary News Briefs and Notable Quotes

• Medicaid Pathways Extension ([00:40–01:30])

  • Georgia’s limited Medicaid expansion (Pathways to Coverage) extended through 2026.
  • Critics cite high admin costs, low enrollment.

    “Failed president supporting a failed policy so there's no real surprise there to continue promoting these particular policies that will not work for Georgians.”
    — Ty Battle [01:23]

• Environmental Concern: Sea Turtles ([04:31–05:23])

  • Bright lights from a new Buc-ee’s threaten nesting sea turtles 12 miles away.

    “Artificial light impacts both nesting females who are deterred from nesting, as well as hatchlings, which become misoriented… and we see mortalities as a result.”
    — Katherine Ridley, 100 Miles [05:08]

• Maternal Health and Guaranteed Income ([06:07–06:40])

  • A pilot provides $1,000/month gift cards to pregnant women in Atlanta as part of a maternal health equity study.

    “That’s what in these three months, that's what we've seen from the metrics of the card, what the women are using.”
    — Katherine Ridley (reading report) [06:27]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Medicaid Pathways News: 00:40–01:30
• Medical Marijuana Study Committee: 02:38–03:30
• Macon Pride Week & Unity Project: 03:30–04:31
• Sea Turtle Environmental Issue: 04:31–05:23
• Maternal Health Guaranteed Income: 06:07–06:40
• Lab Chimps/Project Chimps Integration: 08:59–11:46

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Closing Note

The episode blends policy, community celebration, wildlife advocacy, and human stories—each segment giving listeners a unique view into the present challenges and hopeful initiatives in Georgia. For extended coverage, the host invites listeners to visit GPB’s website or watch related videos online.

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For more information or the video of Kirk and Adam, visit gpb.org/news.

Transcript

[Orlando Montoya]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, a study committee on medical marijuana considers current state policy, which critics call out of date. The city of Macon kicks off its four day Pride Week and US Laboratories no longer experiment on chimpanzees. So what happens to older chimps who need retirement homes sometimes, especially coming from.

[Grant Blankenship]

A lab, they may not always have the best chimpanzee communication skills.

[Orlando Montoya]

Today is Thursday, September 25th. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. Georgia's Pathways to Coverage Medicaid program has received an extension from the federal government. Governor Brian Kemp's office made the announcement today. Kemp thanked the Trump administration for the extension and said he looks forward to the federal state partnership. Democrats, including state Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, have criticized Pathways, saying its high administrative costs and lower than expected enrollment numbers show that it's not an alternative to full Medicaid expansion.

[Ty Battle]

Failed president supporting a failed policy so there's no real surprise there to continue promoting these particular policies that will not work for Georgians.

[Orlando Montoya]

15,000 Georgians are enrolled in Pathways to Coverage. The extension begins in October and runs until the end of 2026. Members will have to report only qualifying activities during application and annual enrollment. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Wednesday made one of his first appearances since announcing he'll run for govern next year. GPB Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

Raffensperger spoke to the Johns Creek Rotary Club about his work as the secretary of state and the work of his office. He did not campaign in his speech, but told reporters at the event that he is drawing on his experience as a business owner in his campaign.

[Unnamed Interviewee]

People want to hear what the truth is. They're looking for someone with integrity and honesty. At the end of the day, it's all about great paying jobs, making sure we have strong public safety so people feel safe in their communities.

[Sarah Kalis]

President Donald Trump has already endorsed Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for the position. Brafensperger says he is not concerned about the endorsement. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Johns Creek.

[Orlando Montoya]

Georgia's House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on medical marijuana and hemp met today at Mercer University in Macon to discuss the state's current policy, which critics say is out of date. Georgia's first medical marijuana law was passed a decade ago. Now only six licensed producers operate in the state and access is limited to patients with specific illnesses that are severe or terminal. Former state Representative Micah Gravelly co sponsored the original bill. He spoke in favor of expansion, saying his father's experience with cancer shapes his view.

[Micah Gravelly]

He said, well, son, I don't even know, you know, how I would go about doing it. Where would you get it? And I'm sitting here thinking I carried the bill and my own father doesn't even know and he doesn't even qualify.

[Orlando Montoya]

Gravelly noted that language in the original bill that would have allowed for education and advertising of medical marijuana was struck before its passage. Macon's Four Day Pride Week kicks off today with community art projects. First, there's Pioneers and Trailblazers, an exhibit of photographic portraits of LGBTQ leaders in Macon, now open at the Tubman African American Museum. Macon Pride board member Ty Battle says there's also the Unity project.

[Ty Battle]

It's a rectangle that has different pins, different identifiers. Some we have Macon native, I'm gay.

[Orlando Montoya]

I'm an ally, lifelong learner, or I'm married or religious. Battle says. Each person who strings a piece of colored yarn across their identifiers will cross other strands to show how our own.

[Ty Battle]

Individual experiences, our life paths kind of come together and creates this beautiful network of community.

[Orlando Montoya]

The piece will travel to Pride in the park on Sunday. That's the annual street fair ending Macon Pride Week. State transportation and wildlife officials are asking southeast Georgia's Glynn county to turn off tall, bright lights that harm endangered sea turtles. The lights, installed at the location of a new Buc EE's convenience store on Interstate 95, can be seen from beaches 12 miles away. Katherine Ridley of the environmental group 100 Miles says the sky glow is deadly to sea turtles.

[Katherine Ridley]

Artificial light impacts both nesting females who are deterred from nesting, as well as hatchlings, which become misoriented when they're leaving the nest by artificial light and they crawl the wrong way and we see mortalities as a result.

[Orlando Montoya]

The county has asked the Georgia Department of Transportation for more information about environmental concerns before taking action, a request Ridley says quote, defies logic. In previous correspondence with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, a county official sounded eager to turn the lights off. But three months later, the so called mask lights are still on. 25 pregnant women in Fulton county are receiving guaranteed income as part of a maternal health equity study on preterm birth. The goal is to better understand gaps in health care access. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has that story.

[Ellen Eldredge]

Atlanta is one of six sites nationwide participating in March of Dimes Maternal and Child Health Collective Impact Initiative. It's providing a $1,000 monthly gift card for women in zip codes with high rates of preterm birth. Tamara Mason is with the March of Dimes. She says so far the women are using their preloaded gift cards for transportation.

[Katherine Ridley]

And I believe the other one top is groceries food. That's that's what in these three months, that's what we've seen from the metrics of the card, what the women are using.

[Ellen Eldredge]

The funding for the women will also receive supplies including diapers and wipes, as well as mental health support services throughout the year. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldredge.

[Orlando Montoya]

Kik or Kik Consumer Products, the parent company of Biolab in Conyers. As a new chief executive officer, Steve Jackson, who previously served as Kik's president and chief financial officer, takes over from Michael Sload, who is retiring. The Lawrenceville, Georgia based Kik is a global maker of pool and household cleaning products and has faced scrutiny and lawsuits since last year's fire at its facility in Conyers, east of Atlanta. The company says Jackson will lead it into what it calls a new phase of growth and operational focus. Sload will serve as an advisor to the CEO during the transition period. You can find out more about the history of the company and aftermath of the chemical fire at Biolab in Conyers in the podcast Manufacturing the Biolab Story. That podcast, of course, from here at GPB, a $2 million program has been announced offering grant funding to local developers and small businesses along with along Atlanta's popular bike and pedestrian trail. The Beltline developers, property owners and small businesses can apply to receive $150,000 to $500,000 in grant funding for commercial development along the 22 mile loop through the city. Applications for the program are open now through October 24th. The announcement was made at a meeting of Atlanta Beltline Inc. Celebrating the 20 year history of the Beltline laboratories in the US no longer experiment on chimpanzees, but chimps live a long time. That means there are still lots of chimps in labs who need retirement homes. Those are the animals that behaviorist Chris Dyer works with at the Project Chimps Refuge near Blue Ridge. GPB's Grant Blankenship takes us there.

[Grant Blankenship]

These guys can't go back into the wild. There's no wild for them. For these type of chimps, some of them have never, they've never touched grass.

[Chris Dyer]

Half a dozen male chimpanzees are hanging out. They're in the top half of a two story cage that the people here call the church Chimps Ahoy building.

[Grant Blankenship]

We still have their fruit, correct?

[Chris Dyer]

Chris Dyer Used to work in human resources.

[Grant Blankenship]

Coming from a lab, they may not always have the best chimpanzee communication skills.

[Chris Dyer]

Today she's working with these six chimps from the New Iberia Research center in Louisiana to get them up to speed on the local social cues here at the Project Chimps refuge.

[Grant Blankenship]

So today in the Chimps Ahoy building, we met Kirk and Adam. Kirk is part of the original 15 chimp troop, and Adam is part of the troop of the six males that we just recently brought in from the lab.

[Chris Dyer]

Step one is getting them face to face with none of their buddies around.

[Grant Blankenship]

We need to slowly integrate these guys into our larger group. Ten, four. We can't just say, open the door, here's your six new friends come. It doesn't work that way. Chimps can be very territorial. They have alliances. They need to build friendships.

[Chris Dyer]

Dyer and her colleagues start with food. She hand feeds Adam, the new guy.

[Grant Blankenship]

You want one? All right. You want your fruit here? Ready?

[Chris Dyer]

He sticks his lips through the metal mesh.

[Grant Blankenship]

Good job, Adam.

[Chris Dyer]

Then they go out back to round up Kirk.

[Grant Blankenship]

So in this room we have Kirk, who is currently alpha of the original 15 that were here. And Kirk is doing a great job as an alpha with his introductions. And so we're going to see how today goes.

[Chris Dyer]

Once Kirk is inside, it's time for what's essentially an extremely secure play date.

[Grant Blankenship]

When we first brought Kirk and Adam in there and we opened the door, there wasn't a rush of aggression from either one of them. In fact, Adam was kind of like, I know what's going to happen. I'm not really. I don't want to interact at the mesh anymore. Kirk says, play with me. We play chase. They were doing the follow the leader, which is very typical chimp play behavior. There was some patting of hands, things like that.

[Chris Dyer]

They even drink together, sticking their hands in their own plastic troughs and sucking the juice that sticks off their fingers.

[Grant Blankenship]

So all of their vocals and all of the behaviors today were telling me that this is going very well for these two chimps.

[Chris Dyer]

And that's good because the sooner Adam and his crew can learn to make friends, the sooner they can start enjoying roaming the hills and trees of North Georgia at the Project Chimp's Refuge with the other 100 plus animals that already call the place home. For GPB news, I'm Grant Blankenship in Blue Ridge.

[Orlando Montoya]

And if you want to see Kirk and Adam get to know each other better, check out a video with them at gpb.org news and that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org hit subscribe on this podcast. It only takes a moment, and it'll help you stay current with us in your feed. If you have feedback, send it to us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Orlando Montoya. We'll be back again tomorrow with another edition of Georgia Today.

[Marielle Segarra]

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[Grant Blankenship]

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[Marielle Segarra]

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