cannabisnews.com: Pot Petitions Aim for Spot on City Ballot 





Pot Petitions Aim for Spot on City Ballot 
Posted by CN Staff on June 14, 2004 at 13:09:25 PT
By Nate Carlisle of the Tribune’s Staff 
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune 
Nineteen months after Columbia voters rejected marijuana decriminalization proposals, they might again be asked to approve medical uses of marijuana and lesser penalties for possessing small amounts of the drug. Groups in favor of altering the city’s marijuana laws are collecting signatures to place the proposals on another ballot. This time, supporters are seeking two ballot initiatives - one to address use of marijuana for medical reasons and one to lessen penalties for possession.
Although the initiatives discuss the same themes as April 2003 proposals, supporters say they have added nuances to mellow voter opposition. "The initiatives are different than the last one, and part of that is a response to different people’s concerns with the last initiative," said Amber Langston, president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy at the University of Missouri-Columbia.Langston’s organization and others have been circulating the petitions. Both measures would alter city ordinances related to marijuana. One initiative would ensure "seriously ill adults" could obtain a misdemeanor amount of marijuana on a physician’s recommendation without being arrested or prosecuted. The other initiative requires that misdemeanor marijuana cases involving adults would be referred to municipal court rather than state court. It makes the maximum fine for such possession $250 and encourages alternative sentences of community service or drug counseling. Missouri statutes define misdemeanor marijuana possession as holding less than 35 grams. In April 2003, Columbia voters rejected a single ballot initiative addressing both the medical and misdemeanor marijuana issues. Nearly 58 percent of 18,090 Columbia voters opposed the measure. The bulk of support for the proposition came from the center of the city and the East Campus neighborhood. Seven of eight First Ward precincts and four of seven Sixth Ward precincts approved the measure, and only five of 29 precincts in the remaining wards supported it.The proposal drew opposition from some children’s advocates and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, who warned the proposition would violate state law. Dan Viets, a Columbia attorney specializing in drug cases and an advocate for changing marijuana laws, said the new ballot initiatives have language substantially different from the 2003 proposals. The $250 fine for possession is 10 times the amount set in the previous measure, and there’s an emphasis on alternative sentencing. The latest initiatives also clarify that the laws only apply to adults. Viets said the previous initiatives didn’t specifically say that, a point that worried voters."If a person is not an adult as defined by state law, then none of this is going to apply to them," Viets said. "It will not affect juvenile cases, in other words."Viets also said he sees the possession ordinance as clarifying existing policy. Since last year’s vote, Columbia police have been sending misdemeanor possession cases to municipal court except when extenuating circumstances exist. Keeping cases in municipal courts let college students retain eligibility for federal student loans, which Viets called "our main goal."To place an initiative on Columbia’s November ballot, advocates need 2,276 signatures from registered voters by June 28, the city clerk said. That amount is 20 percent of the voters in the last mayoral election. Langston said supporters have about 1,500 signatures, but she doesn’t know how many of those are valid. Tribune staff writer Dave Moore contributed to this report.Note: Proponents say changes strengthen plan.Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)Author: Nate Carlisle of the Tribune’s Staff Published: Monday, June 14, 2004Copyright: 2004 Columbia Daily TribuneContact: editor tribmail.comWebsite: http://www.showmenews.com/Related Articles:Anti-Pot Group Files Late http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15879.shtmlBoth Sides Ignoring Central-City Realitieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15878.shtmlPot Initiative Draws Federal Attention http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15864.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on June 14, 2004 at 13:44:06 PT
This is in Columbia, Missouri
This will be a test of enlightenment for the people of Columbia, Missouri, or Colombia, Misery as BGreen might say.
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