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Initiative petition aims to decriminalize marijuana
9/21/07|The Joplin Globe| by Dave Woods

Kelly Maddy, president of the Joplin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, took a deep breath on Friday and started his fight.

Joplin’s City Hall was chosen as the starting point of a year-long battle to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Joplin and the paraphernalia that’s used to smoke it.

“We are here today to introduce an opportunity for the citizens of Joplin to enact a more sensible marijuana policy,” he announced.

Maddy was flanked by Kris Krane, the executive director of national organization, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and Ryan Denham, president of the Alliance for Drug Reform Policy in Arkansas.

“Over 200 people were arrested in 2005 for marijuana in Joplin,” he said “This is a waste of police resources that could otherwise be allocated to more serious crime. Our city’s marijuana laws are not only a waste of taxpayer money and police resources, they are by definition a failed policy.”

The Sensible Sentencing Initiative, as proposed by Maddy and Joplin NORML, would, if endorsed by a majority of Joplin voters in November 2008, make possession of a misdemeanor amount of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia an administrative offense.

The petition also makes clear that adults arrested for simple possession of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia would not be jailed or have to post bond. Those found guilty of the infraction in municipal court would be subject to a $250 maximum fine.

Under current law, those arrested and convicted of marijuana possession or possession of paraphernalia within the city of Joplin are subject to a $500 fine and/or 100 days or less in jail based on the judge’s discretion at sentencing.

Possession cases are currently not referred to the county prosecutor unless the amount of marijuana possessed is 35 grams or more making it a felony offense, according to Cpl. Chuck Niess, the Joplin Police Department’s assistant public information officer.

For R. Lewis Phillips, 69, of Joplin, the idea of decriminalizing marijuana is a non-issue.

“No, not even ... no way would I support that,” said Phillips.

“It’s (marijuana) a drug. I don’t approve of drugs at all. Marijuana, cocaine ... they are all the same. I don’t think medical marijuana is the answer either. Once you open that can of worms, there is no end to it,” he said.

Phillips’ views on decriminalization were not shared by Travis Morgan. The 31-year-old Joplin resident said that he could see the possible benefit of the measure.
“It sounds like it would be cheaper for the system and lessen the strain on the courts,” he contends. “It’s not morally right, but I don’t think it should be a criminal offense. Lying is not morally right, but I would not put someone in jail for it.”


By the numbers

In order to get the measure on the November 2008 ballot, organization members and volunteers will have to collect valid signatures of Joplin voters equal to 15 percent of the number of registered voters in the City of Joplin as of the April 2008 general municipal election. City Clerk Barbara Hogelin estimated the group will need close to 5,000 valid signatures of Joplin registered voters based on past registration numbers.

Maddy said the proposal is essentially the same initiative that passed in Columbia in 2004 with 61 percent of the vote. A similar initiative passed in Eureka Springs, Ark., last November with 64 percent voter approval.

“We will have almost a year to collect the needed signatures and I think that it is a very doable thing,” he said.”

“Our home-rule charter gives us the right and that is why Missouri is such a cool state to live in. It allows cities to try out new laws that may not be ready for the state level or that just give individual citizens a voice in their own city.”

Marijuana possession arrest numbers provided by the Joplin Police Department shows that the average age of those arrested for possession during July 2006 and July 2007 was 26.5 years old, overwhelmingly male and predominately white.

‘A radical departure’

Joplin City Attorney Brian Head said that he can’t remember when the last initiative petition was placed on a Joplin ballot, but he said, he thinks it’s been more than a decade ago.

He said he could remember referendums in the city, but nothing quite like this.

“Were not going to throw up any road blocks for them, but we are not going to help pave the way either,” he said. “We will be as objective in the process as possible.”

He said the city cannot spend city funds to either support or oppose the measure, but said that council members can take a stand on the issue if they want.

As the city attorney, Head is charged with the prosecution of marijuana and paraphernalia possession cases. He said that there would be many legal questions to be answered before the new ordinance could be adopted.

“It would be an awful radical departure for a conservative community like ours,” he said.

“But again,” he added, “if the citizens choose that, we would be held to their determination as the charter and the law provides.”

[ Mod Note - For more on this story see Saturday’s Joplin Globe. ]

 

Buzzby

Would someone tell me why possessing marijuana is immoral? It's illegal, but that problem would go away with legalization.

Is it immoral because it distracts the mind from thinking about God? That's the reason some Christians think that alcohol is immoral. If that's their definition, they might have a case - with alcohol. I find that I think about God more when I'm high, among many other topics that are difficult to approach with the rational mind.

I can't see how moderate and responsible use of cannabis is any more "immoral" than moderate and responsible use of alcohol.

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Delta

This initiative may have a shot. If they can get the voters out (which they might, this story made the front page of the Joplin Globe), it might just happen. This will mean two cities in Missouri will have decriminalized pot, and will probably pave the way for decriminalization in the state as a whole.

Went to Joplin NORML's "Cannabis Revival Festival" yesterday, and donated a few bucks to 'em. Hey, anything helps.

chronicking415

kcbennie

I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that this is the result of 70 years of propaganda. I would bet that this guy has never tried cannabis, but drinks alcohol on a weekly basis.

I am really suprised to see an initiative like this in my state. Most of the people who live here, and who do not use cannabis, have roughly the same opinions as both of these men. I would have expected Missouri to wait until the majority of the country decriminalizes, or for the federal government to decriminalize, before the state made any changes to the marijuana laws. Missouri is not usually known to be a progresive thinking state.

If this passes in Joplin, I would imagine the next Missouri cities to try this would be Clinton, St. Joseph and Sedalia. If decriminilization has a posative effect in those cities, St. Louis and Kansas City should follow.

As of now, marijuana is the lowest priority for most Kansas City police. I find that the best policy for dealing with the Kansas City cops is 1) be polite and cooperative, 2) be completely honest (as long as you only have less than an ounce). KC cops hate being lied to and if they catch you in a lie, your experience is going to exponentially less pleasant.

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"My friend said 'Man, the weather is really trippy' and I said 'The weather's not trippy. It's just the way that you perceive the weather that is in fact trippy.' And then I though to myself 'I should've just said 'Yeah.''"

- Mitch Hedburg

 

chadwick

i would have thought that the first place that something like this would pop up would have been here in Cali but i dont care were it is as long as it passes i will be very happy it will be a major break through leading to many other countys and states then next would probably be humboldt county im suprised they didnt start thier cause the majority of weed in cali comes from their and most people their grow and smoke

hell from wat i here if you dont have an zip most cops just let you go i never want to test that tho

kcbennie

That's how it is here, as long as you're honest about it.