On Nov. 2, 2004, marijuana won in a landslide in Columbia. Proposition 1, known as the "smart sentencing" proposition, won with 61 percent of the vote. On any other issue, a 61 percent victory would have shut up the opposition. However, this is pot. On Monday, after months of haggling, the City Council ratified changes to the marijuana decriminalization ordinance passed by voters in 2004. As president of the MU chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, known as NORML, I'm close to this debate. I won't go into the changes adopted, though in the interest of being a good citizen, if you don't know them, I encourage you to find out. [continues 343 words]
Editor, the Tribune: I was thrilled to see a recent response to my statements in an April 17 Tribune article! The letter showcased classic misconceptions about marijuana. Amy Anderson isn't ignorant; she's just received a lot of misinformation. In fact, marijuana has a tenth the number of chemicals in a cigarette; besides, the number of chemicals is a horrible measure for the threat a substance poses. How many chemicals does a protein bar have? Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows marijuana's potential for abuse is on par with caffeine; see www.drugwarfacts.org/addictiv.htm. When any drug abuse or dependence occurs, treatment has been proved to be more effective than incarceration. Even the Center for Policy Alternatives notes, "A 2003 study found that nonviolent drug offenders who complete judge-supervised treatment programs are 29 percent less likely than those who serve prison time to commit crimes again." This is why drug treatment is one of the chief options for judges under Proposition 2. [continues 100 words]
Editor, the Tribune: I'm not sure whether laughing or screaming is a more appropriate reaction to the recent bill from Sen. Chuck Gross to prohibit school sporting events in the city because of the medical marijuana and smart sentencing propositions adopted last year. It is little more than an immature temper tantrum from the senator from St. Charles to express his dislike for our new laws. Such outrage should not be wasting state taxpayer time in even printing a bill whose purpose is only to spit in the face of the voters in Columbia. [continues 164 words]
To the editor: I was very disturbed to see the negative stereotype you compounded with your recent editorial in support of the anti-marijuana laws that were nearly repealed in Columbia, Mo. The government propaganda has been deeply ingrained in our society, which is sad because so much of it is based on myths and bad science. How do I know? Last November the Journal of Clinical Psychology and the National Institute on Drug Abuse published a 100-page report on the effects of marijuana. These are just a few of the facts: Marijuana is bad for you, but not nearly so bad as alcohol or tobacco. It contains only a tenth of the amount of harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. THC, the active ingredient, is non-lethal and has an amazingly small rate of addiction in comparison to alcohol or tobacco. [continues 123 words]
