Pot measure on ballot in Columbia, Mo.

Associated Press ^ | 1/28/2003 | SCOTT CHARTON

[The FRugitive]

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Voters in this college town will go to the polls in April to decide a ballot measure that would legalize medical marijuana and greatly reduce penalties for possession of small quantities of the drug.

Under Proposition 1, doctor-prescribed marijuana use would be legal in Columbia and other possession cases involving 35 grams or less of pot would be handled in city, rather than state, court. Offenders could be punished with misdemeanor-level fines starting at $25, but no jail time.

The ballot issue represents a new approach to the old battle to decriminalize pot, said Keith Stroup, executive director of the Washington-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

"This is the first example I've seen where they're joined medical marijuana with arguments about penalizing college students," Stroup said Friday. "It's a very smart idea to combine these and let the people vote on not scarring any of these folks with arrest records."

Supporters of the proposal hope to propel it into the law books on April 8 by simultaneously appealing to the seriously ill, senior citizens, college students and baby boomers who sneak joints on weekends.

"This isn't just about potheads," says University of Missouri law student Anthony Lee Johnson, the proposal's author.

Johnson and his allies gathered the required 1,191 signatures of registered voters to get the proposal before the Columbia City Council. The council last week decided to place the proposal on the ballot.

Medical use of marijuana is legal in nine states, but not Missouri.

Columbia Police Chief Randy Boehm strongly opposes the change, insisting that law enforcement needs to keep its discretion about whether to prosecute marijuana cases in city or state courts.

"For example, if it's not a first offense, that should be dealt with in state court," he said. "What if there are additional charges from the same incident? That should be handled by one state prosecutor."

He noted that Proposition 1 imposes a maximum $500 fine for the fourth and subsequent offenses, but no risk of going to jail.

"We try to send the message that substance abuse is not a good thing and this undermines that," Boehm said.

Boehm and other critics also say local governments cannot enact laws that are less stringent than state law.

[Protagoras]

Just the point that pot validation is a major tenet of the American radical left.

Oh. It's off topic.

Maybe there is a thread somewhere that addresses that.

[Protagoras]

We need the party of practical libertarianism.

Where would we find that?

[Protagoras]

But bashing people is fun, TJ!!

And SOME of it allowed here.

[tpaine]

ThomasJefferson:
Even if that were true, what's the point you are trying to make? And what does it have to do with the law being proposed?
"Just the point that pot validation is a major tenet of the American radical left."
-dane-


The 'rad left' is under the delusion that they can live in liberty under socialism.

-- The 'rad right' is under the delusion that they can live in liberty under authoritism.

Both are wrong.

[The FRugitive]

I'm a registered Libertarian but I'm starting to think the RLC is the best chance we have in the near term.

[VaBthang4]

"I'm not sure what you're refering to here. Medical marijuana initiatives have passed in several states."

You dont know what I am talking about but you figure out a way to respond? ~Wink~

Anyway...

Perhaps you could list for us the ratio of smoking dope initiatives that have passed versus those that have died on the "ballot" vine.

~Grin~

Like I said...Grow up people.

"GIVE ME LIBER....err....LICENSE OR GIVE ME DEATH!!!"

[AUgrad]

Both are wrong.

Not if you consider how most of them define "liberty".

[The FRugitive]

Perhaps you could list for us the ratio of smoking dope initiatives that have passed versus those that have died on the "ballot" vine.

It's not a sporting event, who cares about the win/loss ratio? Only the wins matter, and like I said there have been several.

Persistance will win this fight. The more initiatives we have, the more wins we will have.

And you grow up. Totalitarianism is tired.

[Protagoras]

I'm a registered Libertarian but I'm starting to think the RLC is the best chance we have in the near term.

Hard to say, but the RLC is not a political party and runs no candidates, so the question remains in my mind.

[VaBthang4]

"It's not a sporting event"

You're right....by and large it is nothing more than a degenerate event.

"who cares about the win/loss ratio?"

How noble and convenient. Win/loss is a direct reflection on the "will" of the people. If it cant win at the ballot box then the people dont want it. Seems to me that the win/loss ratio is a pretty good barometer of just how much support smoking dope has.

~Wink~

I would think the support of the people would be more important than how many initiative you can cook [light] up.

The only way you win is through the apathy of good Men. Whispering your lies to predisposed flunkies while avoiding honorable Men isnt gonna lead to victory for dope smokers.

"GIVE ME LIBER...err...LICENSE OR GIVE ME SEATH!!!"

[radioman]

Just the point that pot validation is a major tenet of the American radical left.

Urban myth...
It was the radical left that began this War on Marijuana. The attack on marijuana was opposed by the American Medical Association and the Republicans.
Republicans were an endangered species after the FDR socialist regime took over and ramrodded this law thru without debate or vote in the Senate.

[VaBthang4]

LOL...sorry.

[The FRugitive]

"You're right....by and large it is nothing more than a degenerate event."

It's too you feel that way about freedom.

"How noble and convenient. Win/loss is a direct reflection on the "will" of the people."

I don't care about the will of the people. I care about freedom.

"If it cant win at the ballot box then the people dont want it."

Again, I don't care what they want.

"Seems to me that the win/loss ratio is a pretty good barometer of just how much support smoking dope has."

I don't care what support smokeing dope has. I don't smoke dope. I care about the freedom to smoke dope - and we are slowly but surely makeing practical progress towards that end.

"I would think the support of the people would be more important than how many initiative you can cook [light] up."

Support of the people only matters to me in so far as it's necessary for pragmatic purposes. I don't beleive in democracy as an institution - just as an imperfect mechanism, a necessary evil, in persuit of keeping our country as free as possible.

"The only way you win is through the apathy of good Men."

I would completely disagree with that. Good men respect God's design.

"Whispering your lies to predisposed flunkies while avoiding honorable Men isnt gonna lead to victory for dope smokers."

What's honorable about facism? Nothing.

It's not a matter of victory for dope smokers. It's a matter of victory for those who cherish God given liberty.

[The FRugitive]

It's too you feel that way about freedom. = "It's too BAD you feel that way about freedom."

[philman_36]

Perhaps you could list for us the ratio of smoking dope initiatives that have passed versus those that have died on the "ballot" vine.
Well, your criteria is phrased wrongly as there are no "smoking dope initiatives". How can anyone provide a list for something that has never existed?
Are you perhaps talking about medical marijuana initiatives? How deceptive of you...

"GIVE ME LIBER...err...LICENSE OR GIVE ME SEATH!!!"
A little overzealous/excited today?

[tacticalogic]

Republicans were an endangered species after the FDR socialist regime took over and ramrodded this law thru without debate or vote in the Senate.

Even in the House, they lied to them about what they were voting on. It was supposed to be a simple tax on hemp production. Anslinger didn't tell them he was going to use it to prohibit anyone from growing hemp by refusing to accept payment of the tax.

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Just the point that pot validation is a major tenet of the American radical left.

. . . oft repeated while conveniently forgetting that strict drug prohibition was a major tenet of the real left: Stalin, Mao, Castro, Uncle Ho, etc.

[headsonpikes]

Once again you make the error of introducing FACTS into this debate.

It's not about facts; it's about power and money.

[VaBthang4]

"I don't care about the will of the people.
I don't care what they [The People of Individual States] want.
I don't care what support smokeing dope has.
I care about the freedom to smoke dope.
Support of the people only matters to me in so far as it's necessary for pragmatic purposes.
I don't beleive in democracy as an institution"

Got it.

"Good men respect God's design...."....design to do what? Smoke Dope?

~Grin~