cannabisnews.com: City Clerk Certifies Marijuana Initiatives City Clerk Certifies Marijuana Initiatives Posted by CN Staff on July 13, 2004 at 09:37:37 PT By Stephanie Eichmeyer Source: Columbia Missourian The two marijuana initiatives were certified by City Clerk Sheela Amin, but the energy initiative was 138 signatures short. However, it still has a chance to go before the Columbia City Council. Amin said petitioners had 10 days from the time they were informed of the shortage to collect the needed amount of signatures. The deadline is Sunday.Each petition required 2,276 valid signatures. Amin said the council will be presented with the initiatives no later than Aug. 16. The Columbia Alliance for Patients and Education sponsored the marijuana initiatives. The first initiative calls for dismissing charges against people caught with marijuana if they receive approval for use from their doctor. Petitioners collected 412 more signatures than were needed.The second petition calls for giving misdemeanor marijuana possession cases to Municipal Court. The court would retain the power to impose fines of up to $250. Jail time would be prohibited. Petitioners collected 121 extra signatures than were needed.Dan Viets, a member of CAPE, said he is pleased that they don’t have to collect more signatures. Viets said once the issues go through city council, the organization will engage in a public education campaign to prepare for the Nov. 2 election.“We will work to dispel misunderstandings about the issue,” he said.City Counselor Fred Boeckmann said misdemeanor charges — possession of 35 grams or less — are currently a violation of state and local law. He said these two initiatives would only apply to cases within the Columbia city limits.“We obviously can’t undo federal or state law,” he said.In April 2003, voters failed to pass a similar initiative by a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent.The green energy initiative calls for increasing the amount of renewable energy the city uses starting in 2007 and gradually increasing it through 2022. However, electric rates wouldn’t be allowed to increase by more than 3 percent.Petitioners collected 2,138 of the 2,276 valid signatures required. The petition had a 78 percent validity rate.Chris Hayday, a member of Columbians for Clean Energy, which sponsored the initiative along with the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters, said the cause for the shortage of valid signatures was the duplication of many names. He said when someone signs twice, both signatures are thrown out.Hayday said he doesn’t expect the shortage to be a problem, however. The group saved backup pages of signatures in case they fell short. Petitioners also went out last weekend to collect more.“We know we’re going to make it,” Hayday said. Sidebar: The Petitions * One initiative calls for dismissing charges against people caught with marijuana if they receive approval for use from their doctor.* Another calls for giving misdemeanor marijuana possession cases to Municipal Court. The court would retain the power to impose fines of up to $250. Jail time would be prohibited. Voters last year failed to pass a similar initiative by a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent.* A third initiative calls for increasing the amount of renewable energy the city uses starting in 2007 and gradually increasing it through 2022.Two initiatives to reduce punishments for misdemeanor marijuana possession took another step toward becoming law last week while a third initiative dealing with the purchase of “green” energy took a step back.Note: But a green energy petition needs more than 100 signatures by Sunday.Source: Columbia Missourian (MO)Author: Stephanie EichmeyerPublished: July 13, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Columbia MissourianContact: editor digmo.com Website: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Missouri NORMLhttp://www.gstlnorml.org/Petitioners Turn in Extra Signatures http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19099.shtmlPot Petitions Aim for Spot on City Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19001.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 13, 2004 at 10:01:51 PT Maybe Steve & Michele Will Be Able To Come HOME! KUB: Update: Kubby Convictions May Be Thrown Out Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 Friends,Recently, there has been some talk about asking Governor Schwarzenegger for a pardon. A lot of people had great suggestions about what to do, but AMMA advisor and attorney Bill McPike had a simpler idea: have the court throw out the convictions against me, because of a fraud upon the court.If you follow medical marijuana news in California, you probably know that, Bill McPike has been winning stunning medical marijuana victories in pot-hostile places like Fresno, Modesto and Bakersfield. Naturally, we are excited that Bill has offered to represent us Pro Bono.For some time now we have complained that the police lied to obtain the search warrant used in the raid against us by claiming that a guest staying at my home was identified by a DEA report as a Jamaican Drug Smuggler. Of course, my guest was none other than international journalist Pete Brady, on assignment for High Times magazine to do an in depth story about me.In court, we showed the Pete had never been to Jamaica and that his blond hair and fair skin should have been a tip off to the officers that he was not a Jamaican. Prosecutor Chris Cattran argued that it was "an honest mistake by the DEA." We asked Judge Cosgrove to dismiss our case, based upon fraudulent claims, but the judge ruled it against us.After the trial, Pete wrote the DEA and complained about their "mistake" and how it had caused us and him to be arrested and charged. The DEA replied by snail mail to Pete and told him that no such report had ever been prepared. Peter wrote back and demanded to know if they were certain that no report had ever been created about him. The DEA replied that they were absolutely certain that no report had ever been written. Too bad that all this happened after my trial and failed appeal.Thankfully, Pete contacted us about the letters and insisted they were important. Because Pete was so adamant, we officially submitted those DEA letters, along with testimony by Pete, at our Refugee Hearing in Vancouver last year. Now, armed with those DEA letters, Bill intends to file a simple motion that instructs the court to throw out the convictions, based on a fraud upon the court.Bill is going to talk with the Placer DA today to see if they have any interest in doing the right thing and cooperating, rather than challenging a motion to throw out the convictions. The DA is obliged by law to bring evidence, such as a fraud, to the attention of the courts. However, Bradford Fennochio, the Placer DA, is a hardliner, so we don't expect any cooperation. Still have to give him the chance.We're also getting advice from our legal genius, Ed Pearson. Here is Ed's take on things:"Notwithstanding that the Cal C.A. dismissed your appeal because you had defied the jurisdiction they cannot do so in respect of a Motion that demonstrates the real cause of your non-return, the fact that the DA and others were factually by falsehoods and otherwise placing you and the Courts in the position where justice was unattainable."So now you know as much as we do. I thought you would appreciate hearing it first from me. I figure that's the least I owe you for all the support and help you've given us throughout this strange journey. Anyway, I will have another update for you, just as soon as it happens.Let freedom grow,SteveThe Drug War Refugees: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/smk.htm [ Post Comment ] Post Comment