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The 2005 Cannabis Revival sponsored by Missouri NORML will take place from noon to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2005, at Schifferdecker Park, Joplin. NORML is a network of citizen activists who share a common goal of ending marijuana prohibition and stopping the arrest of re-sponsible smokers.
Speakers from St. Louis, Columbia and Fayetteville, including Dan Viets, a Columbia, MO defense lawyer, will discuss decriminalization of mari-juana, its use for medicinal and religious purposes and for hemp as a fuel. The MOhemp Mobile which runs on hemp biodiesal will be on dis-play. A free concert, lineup to be announced, will be scheduled.
The Joplin event is part of a 5 location scehedule, including Kansas City and Lexington on September 5, Columbia at the Blue Note on September 9, and St. Louis at Bowles Plaza on September 11 (note new location).
In Columbia the Columbia Alliance for Patients and Education (CAPE) won certification of two municipal initiatives in November 2004. The first orders city prosecutors to dismiss misdemeanor marijuana or para-phernalia possession charges if the defendant can show a doctor supports his need for marijuana for a legitimate medical condition.
The other initiative, known as the Smart Sentencing Initiative, requires prosecutors to refer misdemeanor possession cases to the municipal -- not the state -- court, remove the possibility of jail time, and reduce the maximum fine from $1,000 to $250. Both propositions passed with nearly a 3/4 majority. The measures gained support over balloting in April 2003 when voters rejected similar proposals by 60 per cent. |
