Legal Weed Coming to Missouri

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

The legalization of marijuana for recreational use was on the ballot in five states during the general election earlier this month:  Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota.   The measure failed in Arkansas and the Dakotas, but it managed to pass in Maryland and Missouri.  With the votes to legalize in those two states, a total of 21 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Territory of Guam now have some provisions for the legal use of marijuana for recreational purposes.

The measure, presented as an amendment to the Missouri state constitution,  passed in Missouri with more than 53% of the vote, and did especially well in Missouri's more urban areas.  The measure passed in St. Louis City by 73 percent.  Rural areas generally opposed the proposition, and it failed in my own county of Howell by 68% to 32 percent.

There was a strong last-minute push against the measure by a coalition claiming that it would benefit marijuana suppliers who are already under contract with the state to supply marijuana for medicinal purposes.  Those forces argued that the interests of fairness would be better served by defeating the state constitutional amendment and instead let the state legislature enact statutes which could insure a more equitable distribution of the licenses for growing and dispensing the product.  Voters rejected that logic because chances of the Missouri legislature enacting statutes legalizing marijuana were nil.

The new measure will take effect next February with recreational sales licenses first being provided to the existing dispensaries for legal medical marijuana.  A lottery system for awarding licenses for the production and dispensing of marijuana will be established, and then in September of next year licenses for dispensaries of recreational marijuana will be awarded.  Local law enforcement is stressing that the use of recreational pot remains illegal until February of 2023 - and it will remain illegal to smoke pot in public settings.

The new law will set limits on how much marijuana a person may possess, and it will also allow for a individuals to grow a limited number of plants.  Persons with convictions for (or who are currently serving time for) marijuana possession may apply to have their convictions vacated (except in cases involving providing pot to minors or driving while high), and a six-percent sales tax will be placed on the product to fund the entire operation.

So, come February, smoke 'em if you got 'em.  It will be a new day in the Show-Me state!