cannabisnews.com: Columbia Voters Reject Marijuana Proposition Columbia Voters Reject Marijuana Proposition Posted by CN Staff on April 08, 2003 at 23:43:58 PT By Scott Charton, The Associated Press Source: Associated Press Columbia, Mo. -- Voters rejected a proposition to soften penalties for marijuana possession and allow pot by prescription in this college town. With all votes counted on Tuesday night, Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren said nearly 58 percent opposed Proposition 1. Boone County vote counting was slowed by a problem requiring late-night inspection by hand of ballots in an unrelated county race, Noren said. Proposition 1, placed on the ballot by petition, would have made Columbia the only place in Missouri where medical marijuana was declared legal for the seriously ill. Nine states and several local governments have approved the practice of prescribing marijuana, amid legal challenges from the federal government. The Bush administration, while asserting it wasn't telling residents how to vote, sent a representative to Columbia last week to proclaim the White House's condemnation of marijuana use. Anthony Johnson, a University of Missouri-Columbia law student who spearheaded the campaign for Proposition 1, criticized the White House for getting involved in a local campaign. “Using taxpayer funds to affect a local election is not appropriate, and the Bush administration managed to create confusion about the proposal,'' Johnson said at a glum election watch party. The sentencing section would require that arrests for possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana within the city be handled in municipal rather than circuit court. Boosters of Proposition 1 said the sentencing language would spare college students from a permanent criminal record for pot possession -- and protect their federal student aid, which may be yanked because of drug convictions. Municipal convictions for possession of less than 35 grams, an amount that critics said would yield several joints, would only be punishable by fines, not jail time. The maximum fine would be $500 for the fourth and subsequent offenses. The campaign for Proposition 1 drew relatively sizable funding from national groups advocating marijuana's decriminalization. The proponents' campaign treasurer said Tuesday that about $30,000 had been raised for phone banks, advertising and polling, among other expenses. Opponents relied on word-of-mouth and never set up a formal campaign committee. Law enforcement officials said Proposition 1 would remove their discretion in cases where a known drug dealer facing multiple counts could be charged and sentenced more harshly.Note: Non related information not posted.Source: Associated PressAuthor: Scott Charton, The Associated PressPublished: Wednesday, April 09, 2003Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Missouri NORMLhttp://www.gstlnorml.org/Marijuana Proposal Not as Scary As It Seems http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15908.shtmlColumbia Voters Will Decide on Prop. 1 Todayhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15903.shtmlBill: Marijuana OK for Pain Reliefhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15881.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by Lehder on April 09, 2003 at 10:00:27 PT show me the silver lining The Bill of Rights (now they know I'm a nut case) intends to protect minorities from the predations of the majority. Yet in order for the dying to have a modicum of control over their pained bodies in the privacy of their homes they must seek permission from the majority. That such an appeal must be made at all testifies to the horrific deformity of governance that the drug war has wrought.About 11% of the enfranchised voted in favor of Proposition 1. Schopenhauer would say, "Don't cheer up, the worst has yet to come." [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 09, 2003 at 08:18:18 PT Related Article from The Associated Press Missouri Voters Keep Anti-Marijuana Laws Wednesday, April 09, 2003 COLUMBIA, Mo. — Voters in this college town rejected a proposition to soften penalties for marijuana possession and allow pot by prescription. With all votes counted, Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren said nearly 58 percent opposed Proposition 1 in Tuesday's election. Vote counting had been slowed by a problem requiring inspection by hand of ballots in an unrelated county race, she said. Proposition 1, placed on the ballot by petition, would have made Columbia the only place in Missouri where medical marijuana was declared legal for the seriously ill.Nine states and several local governments have approved the practice of prescribing marijuana, amid legal challenges from the federal government.The sentencing section would have required that arrests for possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana - roughly 1 1/4 ounces - be handled in municipal rather than circuit court. The maximum penalty would be a $500 fine - and that would be imposed only for the defendant's fourth and subsequent offenses.The campaign for Proposition 1 drew backing from national groups advocating marijuana's decriminalization, and its treasurer said about $30,000 was raised.Boosters said the measure would have spared college students from a permanent criminal record for pot possession - and protect their federal student aid, which may be yanked because of drug convictions.But law enforcement officials said the measure would remove their discretion to charge known drug dealers more harshly.The Bush administration, while asserting it wasn't telling residents how to vote, sent a representative to Columbia last week to proclaim the White House's opposition to marijuana use. Anthony Johnson, the University of Missouri-Columbia law student who pushed for the measure, criticized the White House for getting involved in a local campaign. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by mayan on April 09, 2003 at 06:24:27 PT Shucks! Oh, well...42% of the voters basically voted for decriminalization plus mmj, even with all the kings men campaigning against it(with taxpayer's money). Time is on our side. This losing streak has to end sometime. If only more people would've got out to vote!Revolution calling...Report from the Oakland Docks: http://www.counterpunch.org/terrall04082003.htmlU.S. Homefront War Casualties In Oakland: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0304/S00085.htmExposing the Project for the New American Century: http://pnac.info/Elite Sets the Stage for World War Three: http://www.savethemales.ca/000002.htmlThe World Trade Center Demolition and the So-Called War on Terrorism: http://www.serendipity.li/wtc.html9/11 CitizensWatch: http://www.911citizenswatch.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Duzt on April 09, 2003 at 00:52:45 PT checking votes again Boone County vote counting was slowed by a problem requiring late-night inspection by hand of ballots in an unrelated county race, Noren said.This seems to be getting more and more common. We had a little problem and had to hand check the ballots late at night in private. This is going to become more common with Bush in. He won by removing votes (and the fact we still have the pointless electorial college) and it will happen again. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment