Medical Marijuana in Missouri may be on it's way

[asking79]

Finally!

I just found out this morning that Missouri's Medical Marijuana Bill, HB 277, WILL be assigned to a comittee soon. I was told by another friend that called in to urge support, after reading my blog, and she told me that it would be assigned by Thursday April 23, 2009. I called House Speaker Ron Richards office for myself just shortly after recieving the message and I was also assured that it would be assigned to a comittee by the end of this session.
So thank you everyone who stood up for this bill!
Once it is assigned, we need to thank him for sending it forward.
GO MISSOURI!!!

[User]

one of the last places i thought i'd see changing is missouri. lifestyle change is not something the people in the area i live are looking for. i'm sure there are some like minded folks around me but we all keep a pretty low profile. so you city folks and college towners really need to carry the ball on this one.

Go Missouri!

[asking79]

I think Missourians in general, well, for the most part, keep a pretty low profile. But we have to not be afraid to speak out and remember that just because you write or call a politicians doesn't give them proof you are using marijuana. There's no harm done, I know many non smokers who support legalization and also contribute to the cause.
Hopefully Missouri will finally change it's ridiculous laws. Of course, we still have to see how the comittee pans things out.

[User]

your right about contacting the politicians. we must do that and thats not a concern of mine except perhaps on the extreme local level. i do worry about that somewhat. its smaller than mayberry where i live and andy and barney don't have my best interests at heart. missouri is beautiful and has much to offer but at the same time clings to many old evils that are better left behind. the cities are different and more progressive but our state is mostly rural. now if we could get the farmers worked up about the hemp issue we might have something.

[asking79]

The Farmers should be fired up about hemp! Missouri used to be a big hemp state many years ago. They say that's why we see so many wild plants growing everywhere. HEMP AS A CROP FOR
MISSOURI FARMERS

"Hemp moved west with the Pioneers: Missouri (1835);
Minnesota (1860); Illinois (1875); Nebraska(1887); Wisconsin
(1908); California (1912). By 1860, Missouri had replaced Kentucky
as the major supplier of hemp."

[HomerDean]

Lets go Mo.

[fylthevoyd]

Missouri has been leaning towards the more liberal side here lately when it comes to the noble weed....even the once opposers have pretty much changed their stance.....they have acknowledged that there are more important issues that need dealt with...rather than busting pot smokers...having lived in SW Missouri for most of my life and been smoking weed for over 40 years...I have seen and felt the changes in attitudes....there is finally light at the end of the tunnel....but now...more than ever...is when we need to flood our representatives with our opinions..we have to keep the idea fresh in their minds

[fylthevoyd]

Here's an article pertaining to this bill ....

Medical marijuana bill introduced – help make Missouri the 14th medical marijuana state!

Last update: April 20, 2009



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Medical marijuana bill introduced

In each of the past several years, medical marijuana legislation has been introduced in the Missouri General Assembly; unfortunately, none of these bills have made it out of committee.

Please send your legislators an e-mail urging them to give the medical marijuana bill — HB 277 — the attention it deserves this year.

The 2009 session brings with it new hope and new leadership. If you are a constituent of the new Speaker of the House, Rep. Ron Richard (R-Joplin), please send him an e-mail asking him to assign HB 277 to committee immediately.

HB 277, sponsored by 10 representatives, would allow patients with serious diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, and glaucoma to use medical marijuana pursuant to a physician’s recommendation. Registered patients and caregivers would be allowed to possess up to seven marijuana plants (three mature and four immature) and 1 ounce of usable marijuana per each mature plant.


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If the federal government can have a medical marijuana program, why can’t Missouri?

Interestingly, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the federal government’s little-known medical marijuana program, which was implemented under the federal government’s Investigational New Drug program.

For legislators to say that Missouri can’t have a medical marijuana law because it would be in conflict with federal law is to deny the reality of the situation. If your legislator cites this as the reason for their lack of support, remind them about the federal program and the fact that 13 states have already passed laws that are on the books and working.

Here are some more things you can do to help forward this year’s legislation.


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Reform at the local level

In 2004, Columbia, Missouri passed two initiatives, one of which allows patients to possess small amount of marijuana (35 grams) and the other removes jail time for adults who possess less than 35 grams of marijuana for personal use.

In 2008, Sensible Joplin attempted to qualify a marijuana decriminalization initiative for the ballot, but fell short just 531 signatures of the necessary 4,656 signatures needed to qualify the question for the ballot. Sensible Joplin and more than 4,000 Joplin residents that support marijuana policy reform will be back in 2012 to make another run at the ballot.

In February, the small town of Cliff Village voted 3-2 to enact an ordinance that allows the medical use of marijuana. You can read more about this here and here.


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Stay connected

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you have any questions concerning the status of marijuana policy reform in Missouri, you can contact us by email at state@mpp.org.

To receive news about Missouri marijuana policy reform as it happens, be sure to subscribe to MPP’s free legislative alert service, if you haven’t done so already.