One-third of Missourians now live in jurisdictions where Marijuana possession will not be prosecuted

The November 2018 landslide victory of Amendment 2 (now Article XVI of the Missouri Constitution) is continuing to influence cannabis law and public opinion in Missouri.

The new incoming St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, Wesley Bell, will not be prosecuting marijuana possessions of 100 grams or less, according to a policy statement issued by his office.

"Nearly one-third of Missouri's citizens now reside in jurisdictions with this policy," offered Dan Viets, State NORML Coordinator and President of the Amendment 2 campaign committee, in a release on January 3, 2019. In June of 2018, St. Louis City Prosecuting Attorney, Kim Gardner, announced the same policy. In November, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker made a similar announcement.

"Together these jurisdictions, Missouri's largest, comprise nearly two million of Missouri's six million citizens," continued Viets, and he offered, "these policies will lead to a far better use of the limited resources of law enforcement, allowing police officers to focus on violent crime and property crime rather than victimless, pointless marijuana prohibition enforcement. We urge other Missouri prosecutors to do likewise."

DHSS Rakes In $2 Million in MMJ Fees

Missouri's new Article XVI has provided the state with $2.0 million in non-refundable application fees from 250 hopeful medical marijuana license applicants.

While Dr. Randall Williams, Department of Health and Senior Services Director, said in a statement, "we have a responsibility as public servants of Missouri to implement this process for qualified patients according to the Constitution," the DHSS office actually missed its first constitutionally mandated deadline.

DHSS offices were closed on Saturday, January 5th and applicants with money in hand had to wait until the following Monday morning to file their preliminary applications.

The DHSS will be ramping up with scores of new hires to manage Missouri's medical marijuana program. The first hires are former Missouri Representative Lyndall Fraker serving as Director of Medical Marijuana and Amy Moore serving as Deputy Director and Counsel.

An expected 70 to 80 positions will begin to be filled between February 22 and May 17. Most jobs will be data entry type positions.

Here is an updated timeline for program implementation. DHSS is open to program input and will announce open hearings in the upcoming weeks ahead.

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Fraker Scheduled to Speak at MMJ Conference

DHSS' Medical Marijuana Director, Lyndall Fraker, will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming MoCannBizCon + Expo event March 11 – 12, 2019 at the St. Louis Union Station. The event is sponsored by MoCannTrade, an association with goals to build a successful, safe, compliant medical cannabis industry. The conference will cater to the business side of Missouri's new medical marijuana industry and many attendees will be anxious to get insight into the licensure process.

The Show-Me state's other organization, Missouri Cannabis Industry Association will also hold a conference in St. Louis, late April 2019. Details are not finalized.

New Cannabis Bills in 2019 Session

A number of bills have been filed in Missouri's legislature for the 2019 session and some will affect Missouri's new medical marijuana law.

Senate Bill 2: Filed by Sen. Shalonn Curls, Kansas City (D). Curls wants the DHSS to require state government to give a 10-percent scoring bonus when evaluating marijuana license applications from companies owned by women or minorities. The bill also requires state government to "take into consideration" policies maintained by local governments that promote businesses owned by women and folks of minority backgrounds.

House Bill 440: Filed by Rep. Barbara Washington, Kansas City (D) will also have a similar themed bill to promote women and minority licensure.

House Bill 238: Filed by Rep. Nick Schroer, St. Charles County (D). This bill prevents the state government from sharing medical marijuana user or registry info with the federal government. A violation would be a Class E felony.

House Bill 292: Filed by Rep. Barbara Washington., Kansas City (D). Requires the court to expunge marijuana possession offenses for 35 grams or less provided the convictions came after Dec. 31, 1997 and before Aug. 28, 2019. After Aug. 29, possession for convictions would be expunged on the date of the conviction.

House Bill 292: Filed by Rep. Ron Hicks, St. Charles County (R), this bill would expunge marijuana misdemeanors from the records of those with medical cannabis patient cards, so long as the misdemeanor was entered before the patient was approved for the card. The bill allows for just one expungement per cardholder.

House Bill 157: Filed by Rep. Brandon Ellington, Kansas City (D). This bill would legalize marijuana for Missouri adults 21 and older. Adults could sell and transport up to two ounces of cannabis and cultivate six plants per person, provided only three of the plants are mature, flowering ones. The bill prohibits the sale of marijuana plants, along with driving under the influence of marijuana, and it allows landlords to prohibit marijuana-growing on their property. It also allows employers to restrict marijuana use among employees and forbid weed in the workplace. It prohibits government from denying any service or program to someone due to marijuana activity that this bill would make legal.

Senate Bill 198: Filed by Sen. Bob Onder, St. Charles County(R). This bill adds fentanyl and carfentanil to the list of controlled substances with enhanced penalties for the crime of delivering them. That list still includes marijuana under Missouri law.

Missouri NORML Lobby Day January 30th

Join GSTL NORML and other Missouri State NORML chapters at the Capitol in Jefferson City on January 30, 2019 to lobby for your cannabis rights in Missouri. We will meet at 10:30 am., House Hearing Room 2, Missouri Capitol Basement Level with the Smart Sentencing Coalition. They've reserved the room at the State Capitol and will invite legislators. An agenda will be available and includes talking to our legislators about:

• SB-2, Gender/Minority Licensing
• HB-238, Patients' Gun Rights
• Patient Employment Protection

Car pools are forming for the trip to Jefferson City. If you are interested in organizing a group to car pool and want to find riders go to MO NORML.

January GSTL NORML Chapter Meeting

January 14, 2019 – Join us for the first meeting of 2019! Our special speaker tonight will present the details about the recent 2019 Farm Bill Act which legalizes hemp at the federal level. Open nominations for board positions will be taken at this meeting so we can print ballots for February's election. This is the last meeting to join so you may vote in February. Our chapter meeting returns to CJ Muggs in Webster Groves, MO.
Event: January Chapter Meeting
Date & Time: Monday, January 14, 2019 at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Location:
CJ Muggs Webster (Webster Groves, MO)
101 W Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119
Sponsor: Greater St. Louis NORML
Cost: FREE. (Donations accepted.) Everyone is invited.

Greater St. Louis NORML 2019 Planning Sessions
The passage of A2 in Missouri has greatly expanded Missouri's citizen rights to obtain and posses medical cannabis. With increased interest and membership in Greater St. Louis NORML, we have several key events scheduled for 2019 that will need volunteer participation to become successful. We will have open volunteer and member planning sessions to encourage volunteer participation. Events will be scheduled either the week of 1/20 or 1/27. Find out more at our January Chapter Meeting.