cannabisnews.com: New Meaning To ‘Grass-Roots’





New Meaning To ‘Grass-Roots’
Posted by CN Staff on April 01, 2003 at 08:29:32 PT
By Fritz Wenzel 
Source: Toledo Blade
The next initiative petition to hit the streets of Toledo could be circulated by Sandra Coty, who wants to establish the Ohio Marijuana Party - and no doubt bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "high voter turnout."She showed up last week at the Lucas County Board of Elections to file paperwork to establish a political action committee which will allow her to raise money to pay for the work of circulating petitions - and growing her "grass roots" organization.
"We have a lot of people in jail for a long, long time, who are nonviolent," she said. "I am trying to make it not a criminal offense to possess marijuana, so we don’t have our jails full of nonviolent people."The law basically needs to be worked with," she said. "I feel like our narcotics control system is sidetracked on marijuana, while crack is destroying our cities. Police might have a chance of defeating crack if they didn’t waste time on marijuana."Ms. Coty has coordinated her efforts with the U.S. Marijuana Party, which has added a page to its Web site explaining how Ohioans can sign or circulate petitions."The Marijuana Party seeks to remove all penalties for adults 21 and over who choose to consume cannabis in a responsible manner," states the group’s online mission statement."We demand an end to the war on productive and otherwise law-abiding citizens by the powers that be who claim to protect us."We demand the right to use any medication our health-care providers and we deem fit without government interference."We demand the release of all people imprisoned on marijuana charges and that their criminal records be expunged."We demand that all property seized in marijuana raids be returned to the rightful owners at once," the statement continues.Will they next demand munchies at the polls?The Ohio Marijuana Party must collect at least 33,563 valid signatures from registered voters in Ohio, which amounts to 1 percent of the number of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election, according to the Ohio Revised Code.It has been done before. The Natural Law Party and the Libertarian Party both qualified as official political parties in Ohio in 2000.But both parties’ candidates at the top of the ticket failed to meet the state’s requirement that they receive at least 5 percent of the vote in the general election in order to remain an unofficial party. Which means that, if they want to regain official party status, they must again go through the signature gathering process.The last minor party to win official status in Ohio and retain it in an election was the Reform Party in 1996, which ran Ross Perot as its presidential candidate. He won 10.6 percent of the vote.However, the 1998 Reform Party candidate for governor, John Mitchel, failed to win 5 percent in the general election, knocking the Reform Party off the ballot.Voters may really need a scorecard to keep the political players straight this fall.With the Lucas County Democratic Party endorsement of Vallie Bowman last week as its favored candidate for clerk of Toledo Municipal Court, the party continued its turn to a new generation of candidates.Ms. Bowman becomes the fourth first-time candidate to win Democratic party backing this year. She will appear on the ballot with other first-timers Karyn McConnell and Frank Szollosi - who have won temporary appointments to Toledo council and must defend their seats this fall - and District 5 Councilman Ellen Grachek, who was appointed to her seat in January.Actually, Ms. Grachek must face voters in a May special election and a September primary election before going before the voters in November - assuming she wins at each step to advance.If so, she will be an experienced campaigner, but still new to public office."Opportunities and challenges go with that," said Paula Ross, Lucas County Democratic Party chairman. "Every time we have a first-time candidate, we bring in new people, but when there are first-time candidates, it’s important that we meet the challenge of training them and meeting their needs."Republicans are also poised to run a slate of candidates that will be new to the eyes and ears of voters.Toledo Municipal Court Clerk Theresa Gabriel, while a fixture at City Hall for decades, will run her first race this fall to keep her seat. And Ms. Grachek is challenged by fellow newcomer Mary Beth Moran in the May election.Bernadette Noe, the Lucas County GOP chairman, has pledged a new name to run with sophomore candidate David Dmytryka against Ms. McConnell and Mr. Szollosi for the two at-large council seats. But, she said, it is not yet time to release that name.Source: Blade, The (OH) Author: Fritz Wenzel Published: March 31, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Blade Contact: letters theblade.com Website: http://www.toledoblade.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Ohio Marijuana Partyhttp://ohio.usmjparty.com/Police Endorse Driver Drug Testhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15782.shtmlMarijuana Advocate Energized By Arresthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15732.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 01, 2003 at 09:45:32 PT
420toker
I'm paying attention and I agree with you. Keep on ranting!
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Comment #2 posted by 420toker on April 01, 2003 at 09:23:10 PT
Im no longer amused
I have to admit when I first started reading about Cannabis legislation even I snickered at the everpresent jokes enclosed in supposedly serious articles. I have grown tired of it, its just gotten flat out boring. They have even started reusing the same material, I cant count how many times I have seen that whole "Grass Roots" thing done.I wish they would either come up with newer better jokes or just write it straight.Bah just ranting pay no attention, no one else does 
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on April 01, 2003 at 08:52:58 PT
Ohio wants credible drug law reform.
Needs credible drug law reform, is more like it.& cannabis is not even a drug.Let's give a big hand there.Jamaica, Cannada, Belgium, South America, Mexico, Maryland, Conn. Vermont, Columbia MO, Oklahoma, California, Nevada, on and on and on. (everywhere I look)OHIO! 
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