cannabisnews.com: Council Sets Pot Revision for Election





Council Sets Pot Revision for Election
Posted by CN Staff on January 22, 2003 at 16:32:16 PT
By Liz Heitzman of the Tribune’s Staff 
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune 
The Columbia City Council opted not to support an ordinance that would change the city’s marijuana laws last night and instead referred the issue to voters.Only John Coffman, the outgoing councilman from East Campus’ Sixth Ward, voted in favor of the initiative, which would have reduced fines and sentences for those caught with small amounts of marijuana and legalized it for medicinal purposes.
After congratulating the stream of students and community members who spoke in favor of the ordinance, Coffman said he believes marijuana is "misclassified" with harder drugs such as cocaine and heroine."I intend to support this, despite whatever legal conflicts there might be," he said. "I think it is a fair and reasonable incremental approach" to drug law reform.The majority of the council didn’t support the ordinance for a variety of reasons, including concern about passing a law in conflict with state statutes, questions about the language of the initiative and police opposition.Fourth Ward Councilman Jim Loveless said he would rather have voters decide the "volatile issue.""Marijuana laws are a mess in this country," he said. "Maybe there is something to be said for making changes from the bottom up instead of the top down, but I don’t see how the council can make a law contrary to state law."Council members were forced to vote on the issue after a group of University of Missouri-Columbia students got enough signatures to file a petition to amend the city’s marijuana ordinances.Under the city charter, the council had to either approve the ordinance and change city code or reject the ordinance and place it on the April 8 ballot.Anthony Johnson, the MU law student who wrote the initiative with help from local attorney Dan Viets, said he became interested in changing the city’s drug laws after learning that students convicted of drug offenses in state court would lose their financial aid for one year.Johnson told the council that his group, Columbia Alliance for Patients and Education, was not a bunch of "hippie pot smokers." Rather, they are residents who want to protect student financial aid and the rights of seriously ill patients, he said.The proposed ordinance would allow seriously ill citizens to possess up to 35 grams of marijuana for medicinal purposes upon the recommendation of a physician.Joshua Judy, senator for the Missouri Student Association, also spoke in support of the proposed ordinance.Only one audience member, 90-year-old Waldo Palmer, spoke in opposition to the ordinance. Clearly frustrated, Palmer said, "I must have come out of different generation because I was taught that you shouldn’t violate the law."Palmer said he didn’t buy the argument that students caught with small amounts of marijuana should only be sent to city court. "If we’re going to finance them," he said of students receiving state aid, "they should follow the law."Under existing law, anyone convicted of possessing 35 grams of marijuana or less - a misdemeanor offense - can receive a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. While most cases involving 10 grams of marijuana or less are already handled in municipal court, police have discretion to send cases to state courts.Columbia Police Chief Randy Boehm said last night that the system already works well because it gives officers the ability to heighten charges if there are extenuating circumstances, as when violators are arrested at a known drug house.Much like a parking or traffic ticket, the proposed ordinance would send all persons charged with possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana to municipal court. Fines would be dropped to $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense, $100 for a third offense and $500 on subsequent offenses.Note: Voters get proposed ordinance April 8. Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)Author: Liz Heitzman of the Tribune’s Staff Published: Wednesday, January 22, 2003Copyright: 2003 Columbia Daily TribuneContact: editor tribmail.comWebsite: http://www.showmenews.com/Related Articles:City Council To Vote on Pot-Possession Penaltieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15227.shtml Groups Hope Petition Helps Soften Pot Policieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14445.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 14, 2003 at 15:40:39 PT
News Brief from The Columbia Daily Tribune
Group Forms To Pass Marijuana Ordinance Published Thursday, February 13, 2003A student-led group hoping to change Columbia’s marijuana ordinance has organized a campaign committee to promote Proposition 1 in the April 8 election.After filing with the Boone County Clerk, the Columbia Alliance for Patients and Education can move forward with fund-raising for political advertising and other campaign activities.Amy Fritz, who is listed on the application as deputy treasurer, said the University of Missouri-Columbia group hopes to raise about $60,000 through local and national donations."We have approached some people in the community and have targeted other people in the country who have donated large amounts of money for decriminalization efforts in the past," Fritz said.Last fall, the group obtained more than enough signatures to put Proposition 1 on the ballot. The measure would reduce fines for those caught with small amounts of marijuana and refer all misdemeanor marijuana cases to municipal court. Proposition 1 would also decriminalize marijuana for medicinal use.Art Auer, the county elections director, said no opposition group has filed with the county. The last day to file as a campaign committee is March 9.  
 
Copyright: 2003 The Columbia Daily Tribune
 
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