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Senator Seeks To Penalize Columbia, MO, For Marijuana Laws
Kelly Wiese | Saint Louis Post-Dispatch | 01/19/2005

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Columbia will pay a price for easing restrictions on marijuana prosecutions if one lawmaker gets his way.

Sen. Chuck Gross, a St. Charles Republican, proposed legislation Wednesday that would prohibit public schools from holding athletic tournaments in Columbia.

It's a response to two measures the city's voters OK'd in November. One makes marijuana arrests the lowest priority of city law enforcement, and the other allows marijuana to be used in the city for medical reasons.

The legislation by Sen. Chuck Gross, R-St. Charles, would bar schools that receive state money from participating in "sporting events or athletic tournaments" in cities that have soft marijuana laws.

The intent is not to prohibit Columbia schools from taking part in sports but to block regional or state tournaments from being held in the city, Gross said.

"I think it's a bad message to send off to kids -- 'Hey, come to Columbia, you can bring your pot with you,"' Gross said.

Athletic tournaments are big business for the city, which also is home to the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Columbia Chamber of Commerce President Don Laird said he doubts the bill will become law. He said sports tournaments generate millions of dollars in economic activity for Columbia.

"Those types of things are very important to us," he said. "It would be very damaging to Columbia."

Laird said the proposal is the first economic fallout he is aware of since the pot proposals passed.

Dan Viets, a Columbia attorney and leading proponent of the new marijuana policies, called the bill "mean-spirited" but said he's not worried.

"I think what he's targeted is every school district in the state of Missouri," Viets said. "I feel sorry for the kids that might lose their opportunity to do what they want to do."

One Columbia ordinance requires that arrests for possession of about 1.25 ounces of pot or less be handled in municipal court rather than state court. The maximum penalty is a $250 fine with no jail. In state court, the same charge packs a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.

The other ordinance allows seriously ill patients, with their doctors' permission, to use marijuana.

No other Missouri community has anything similar on the books, and marijuana possession remains a state crime.

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Marijuana athletic bill is SB197.

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Zilos

He ain't gonna get his way though!


Damn, go columbia! Though it's not legalized and you can till get ticketed, I'd be damn happy to have this in Canada. Though, I didn't see anything in there about cultivation. So would those laws be the same? Im guessing those laws would be quite harse.


Proof that the senator won't win.


So the state could still bust you and prosecute you to there maximum penalties for things like cultivation just like in the lovely US of A?

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FitShaced

What about that whole "Kids wont do drugs if the join the sports team crap" BS? did this sen forget about that.i would LOVE to see this happen, seriously, i would. than ill my ass off at the morons if the whole cities kids went to dope, since they dont have anything better to do after school anymore.

vladimir

colombia have the mizzou tigers, and i think if they wouldnt let the city have sports events anymore, there would be a huge uprising. most of the people i know who go there do it pretty much because of teh sports team. (i come from kc, where its either a choice between the tigers, the jayhawks, and wildcats, opinions about the schools are very influenced by which team you support).

strangedezign

There's a Senator who is working for the people! I love republicans!

 

iGame3D

They can make up the difference in sports income, by having 24 hour smoke-ins. $10 a head + $10 camping fee when the hotels are full up.

psthbng

This guy is absolutly nuts. He's attached his tail to the wrong comet, and should say adios to his political career.

MickityMike

No, he'll be fine. St. Charles isn't a real mj friendly county.

And it's a 1000 to 1 that the Senator knows exactly what he's doing. He knows that there's no way the State will legislate what the Senator wants, but his voters in St. Chuck will be happy he made the effort.

Go MIZZOU!

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