An initiative petition in Missouri has 10 months to gather enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot. The Columbia Tribune reports Show-Me Cannabis has made a request with the Secretary of State's office to circulate a petition to unconditionally legalize all forms of marijuana.
The group has two petitions it wants to circulate. One requires 100,000 signatures to put a statutory change on the ballot. A second petition needs 160,000 voter signatures and would amend the Missouri Constitution. Both initiatives must gather enough support by May 6 to get on the ballot in November 2012.
At issue will be saving taxpayers' money and giving the General Assembly the authority to raise taxes on the sale of marijuana. Opponents, such as law enforcement officials, would come out against the proposal saying the legalization of marijuana in Missouri would cause more trouble than it's worth.
The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform states 55 percent of drug arrests in Missouri during 2007 were because of marijuana-related offenses. Over 23,000 charges were filed relating to marijuana possession and sales. Eliminating the burden on the legal system is one impetus of the reform.
The Missouri Office of Prosecution Services will be holding an online seminar entitled "What You Need to Know About Medical Marijuana." They are one group that has spoken out against legalizing marijuana and will likely oppose the measure should it be put on the ballot.
Legalizing the drug in Missouri wouldn't just affect Missourians. People would come from out of state to buy products related to the drug. There may even be growers that sell their products over the Internet to interest buyers over state lines.
Growers in Missouri would multiply as marijuana would become a small cash crop. But at least they would be regulated as to the amounts of the drug could be in cigarettes and other products.
In a best case scenario, legalizing pot eases the legal system. Missouri would have more money to spend in the treasury and law enforcement can focus on other issues in the state.
At worst, it creates a burden on medical personnel who would have to deal with marijuana overdoses and other medical maladies associated with pot. Driving while under the influence may also become a more prominent problem with pot smokers if more marijuana is allowed. Taking the products over state lines may place a burden on other states.
WebMD states about four percent of Americans smoked pot at least once a year. About one in 300 of those are addicted. Marijuana increases your heart rate, increases blood pressure, causes redness of the eyes and slows reaction times.
