Medical marijuana initiative fighting in court to appear on the ballot
Last update: August 16, 2016
The Secretary of State’s Office has ruled that New Approach Missouri’s initiative to ask November voters to adopt a comprehensive medical marijuana program fell short by about 2,200 signatures in one congressional district. The campaign has vowed to challenge this ruling in court. If a court rules in favor of the campaign, the initiative will appear on the November 8 ballot and would allow patients suffering from qualifying medical conditions — including cancer, epilepsy, and PTSD — to safely access medical cannabis from a regulated dispensary. Patients would also be permitted to grow up to six plants at home.
To learn more about the initiative, check out our summary. We encourage compassionate Missourians to support New Approach Missouri. Please check out their website and consider donating or getting involved. It is past time Missouri offer patients relief.
Lawmakers consider legalizing and regulating marijuana
During the 2016 legislative session, which adjourned in May, several Missouri lawmakers filed legislation to reform the state’s marijuana laws. Among them was Rep. Brandon Ellington’s HJR 57, which sought to regulate marijuana like alcohol for persons 21 years of age and older.
While the bill did not pass, it helped foster a long-overdue conversation about whether Missouri should continue criminalizing a substance that is safer than alcohol. Please let your lawmakers know you think it is time for a more sensible approach.
Simple possession will no longer carry jail time as of January 1
In 2014, lawmakers enacted SB 491, which reduces penalties for those possessing up to 10 grams of marijuana, beginning on January 1, 2017. A first offense will be punishable as a class D misdemeanor (an infraction), and will carry a fine of $250-$1,000 with no jail time.
While this is better than the current penalty, a $250 fine is out of reach for some Missourians. The state still has a long way to go to treat marijuana consumers fairly. Possession of over 35 grams — about 1.25 ounces — is a felony subject to a prison sentence of up to seven years and a $5,000 fine.
In perhaps the most outrageous marijuana sentence in the state, Missourian Jeffrey Mizanskey was until recently serving a life sentence for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses under a severe three-strikes law. Gov. Nixon commuted Mizanskey’s sentence in May 2015, and his parole was subsequently granted. On September 1, 2015, Mizanskey was freed after serving 21 years in prison!
Several thousand of Missourians are arrested and branded criminals each year for marijuana offenses. In 2012, Missouri arrested or cited over 18,800 individuals for marijuana-related offenses, 92% of which were for possession. During the same year, 87% of reported burglaries — including home invasions — and 88% of motor vehicle thefts went unsolved by law enforcement.
In addition to marijuana prohibition diverting police from more serious crime, it’s also been unevenly enforced among races. Blacks are 2.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in Missouri than their white counterparts, even though blacks and whites consume marijuana at similar rates. For more information on how the war on marijuana consumers is often waged unequally, check out the ACLU’s report.
Stay connected
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you have a personal connection to the issue — including if you are a seriously ill patient, a loved one, a physician, or a clergy member — and would like to get more involved, please contact us by email at [email protected]. Please include your address or nine-digit zip code so we can determine who your state legislators are.
To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Missouri, please subscribe to our email alerts. If you have any questions concerning the status of marijuana policy reform in Missouri, you can contact us by email at [email protected].
