Pubdate: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO) Copyright: 2005 Columbia Daily Tribune Contact: http://www.columbiatribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/91 Note: Prints the street address of LTE writers. Author: Dan Viets Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n335/a10.html STORY ON CITY MARIJUANA LAW MADE INCORRECT ASSERTION Editor, the Tribune: The Columbia marijuana ordinances make absolutely no difference in whether parolees are sent back to prison for marijuana use. Contrary to the assertion in a Feb. 27 article in the Tribune, it is not true that a person on parole cannot have his parole revoked because he is charged under a city ordinance rather than a state law. When officers find people in possession of small amounts of marijuana, they routinely check their criminal histories. If the suspect is on parole, the police officer notifies the parole officer. As an attorney who often handles such matters, I can attest to the fact that a parolee may have his or her parole revoked for any suspected law violation, even if never charged in any court. This happens routinely because parolees are subjected to random drug testing while under supervision. Even though they might never be charged with marijuana possession, a positive drug test for marijuana places a parolee in definite jeopardy of being sent back to prison. If the police believe a person in possession of a small amount of marijuana intends to sell it, they are free to arrest that person on suspicion of the felony offense of possession with intent to sell. The new ordinances in no way prevent that. If, as the Tribune reported, these are the concerns of the Columbia Police Officers Association, it should understand that it has been misinformed and that the ordinances do not cause the problems it feared. Dan Viets 15 N. Tenth St. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake