News and Politics | February 11, 2009 | 38 comments

Missouri village legalizes medical marijuana

source: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/AD3E1D1700B1D17986...

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A small southwest Missouri village has passed an ordinance to allow the use of medical marijuana.

Mayor Joe Blundell said Cliff Village, with a population of about four dozen, wanted to show grass-roots support for Missouri to legalize medical marijuana as 13 other states have.

"This is symbolism, pure and simple," Blundell told The Kansas City Star for a story published Tuesday. "I would like to be the brave one who grows the first plant, but they've built a lot of cages for the people who stick their necks out."

Cliff Village's ordinance allows someone with a doctor's approval to possess a few ounces of marijuana and grow a few plants.

Cliff Village passed the ordinance on Feb. 1 by a 3-2 vote. The mayor's father was one of the council members to back him.

Columbia passed a similar ordinance in 2004.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland, whose deputies patrol Cliff Village, said he will continue to follow state law that says it's illegal to possess or grow or distribute marijuana.

"My advice would not to be run out and start growing marijuana, or you'll be a guest of mine," he said.

Cliff Village has no employees and levies no taxes. It gets about $1,300 a year in distributions of state fuel taxes for road repairs and $120 to $200 more in cable TV franchise fees.

The 30-year-old mayor said his interest medical marijuana comes from a painful past injury from a train accident that left him in a wheelchair.

"When I got introduced to this flower, it not only alleviated my pain, it got me out gardening," Blundell said. "I'm not just stoning myself out. It allowed me to function."
  1. groups:
    News and Politics,   Current News US
  2. tags:
    News and Politics,  Current News US,  Medical Marijuana,  Missouri
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38 comments // Missouri village legalizes medical marijuana

  • Michaela_Cunningham
  • estee_arie
  • estee_arie
  • bishopobispo
  • Liquidsoul
    • 0
      Liquidsoul  

    • Any human should be able to use anything they feel necessary to treat any illness, regardless what anyone thinks, feels, or believes. It is your body and your life and your right to do whatever you please to do to it.

    • 3 years ago
  • Robroy1
  • SunshineSarah
  • MojoNojo
  • Gargaryun
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  

    • Usually when hunting for herbs in college towns and such it is just regular kids that know where to get it. They're not all bad kids, but it's such a hassle, sometimes you get ripped off and there's always the chance of getting busted. But that still doesn't stop anyone...

      The most ironic thing is that I can legally brew my own beer, up to 200 gallons at a time (I don't get much above 20 gallons at any one time), but I can't grow a harmless herb plant? How fucked up is that? I could if allowed, grow, cure and enjoy my own herb within my own house without contributing to any crime, organized or not. Why not? Who am I hurting?

    • 3 years ago
  • netstorm2k8
    • 0
      netstorm2k8  
    • simplecj:

      You'd be hurting lawmakers pockets, since the drug companies and those inside the infrastructures of the war on drugs/terror line their pockets with the money prohibition creates, and they lobby the politicians to keep the spigot open.
      It's a Ponzi scheme by force.

    • 3 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  
    • simplecj:

      Ya, well good then! Fuck those assholes! By growing my own herb I could hurt both sides of this war and score one for the innocent people who have been caught in the middle.... like myself, a former POW within my own state.

    • 3 years ago
  • mooseindian
    • 0
      mooseindian  

    • I say why not legalize recreational use also. There is a problem with job shortages, and legalizing cannibis would create many jobs for americans,keep many people out of jail where we currently have an over population problem, and would take away the need for drug dealers... i hate drug dealers!!

    • 3 years ago
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • netstorm2k8
    • 0
      netstorm2k8  

    • "Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland, whose deputies patrol Cliff Village, said he will continue to follow state law that says it's illegal to possess or grow or distribute marijuana.

      "My advice would not to be run out and start growing marijuana, or you'll be a guest of mine," he said.""

      Well, when you individuals with badges, guns, and a perceived right to take my liberty come to do so, watch out for the home defense anti-personnel mines and infrared guided, servo-mounted machine guns I made in my spare time, using MY rights.

    • 3 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  
    • Image

    • Cannabis IS the safest medicine ever and treats a huge array of illnesses!

      Good for Missouri! Let's hope the rest of the states catch on! Federal government cannot continue to undermine state law that was voted for by the public. If they continue to do so, I am pretty sure the talk of succession will increase. I've heard 20 some states are already using that option to get the government to cooperate over other matters, but this one certainly applies!

      >>>Popular sovereignty in the United States [Wikipedia]

      The application of the doctrine of popular sovereignty receives particular emphasis in American history, notes historian Christian G. Fritz's American Sovereigns: The People and America's Constitutional Tradition Before the Civil War, a study of the early history of American constitutionalism.[4] In describing how Americans attempted to apply this doctrine prior to the territorial struggle over slavery that led to the Civil War, political scientist Donald S. Lutz noted the variety of American applications:

      To speak of popular sovereignty is to place ultimate authority in the people. There are a variety of ways in which sovereignty may be expressed. It may be immediate in the sense that the people make the law themselves, or mediated through representatives who are subject to election and recall; it may be ultimate in the sense that the people have a negative or veto over legislation, or it may be something much less dramatic. In short, popular sovereignty covers a multitude of institutional possibilities. In each case, however, popular sovereignty assumes the existence of some form of popular consent, and it is for this reason that every definition of republican government implies a theory of consent.

    • 3 years ago
  • rockertwin
    • 0
      rockertwin  

    • great to see that shit..missouri is a pretty cool state..
      might make me start smoking some after not for at least 6 years..power to the people

    • 3 years ago
  • jacocoll
  • dmass5
  • Raveway
  • Alex_French
    • 0
      Alex_French  

    • yeah lets all not get... stoned... out?

      aww.... that's kinda the point yo. i mean even if it alleviates the pain, you still dont know what day it is, and you have the most random craving for pancakes am i right?

    • 3 years ago
  • elj
  • Nicklas
  • Raveway
    • 0
      Raveway  
    • Alex_French:

      you apparently haven't seen any documentaries where they show actual patients who medicate with cannabis. No, many of them do not get stoned. They medicate enough to relieve their symptoms so that they can try to live a normal life. Watch 'In Pot We Trust".

      nevertheless, breakfast foods = the best munchie foods, AS LONG AS THEY AREN'T KELLOGS!

    • 3 years ago
  • quixotic12
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • galwayman
    • 0
      galwayman  

    • Another victory in the war to legalize! One town at a time and sooner or later the lifestyle police will wake up and do the right thing and legalize nationally! Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have the freedom of choice! That a plant is Illegal! the benefits far outweigh the continued ignorence and stupidity of the govenment! toke my friends force them to legalize!

    • 3 years ago
  • AmandaZee
  • pjacobs51
  • nursediesel
    • 0
      nursediesel  

    • Gee, google earth...map Quest tell me the directions...I'll print them out as I run out the.... no no while I pack my bags...then run out the door.

    • 3 years ago
  • PirateSauce
  • Lubricant
    • 0
      Lubricant  

    • If the police arrest anyone it will make a great criminal case against the police officer personally for false imprisonment since it is legal in the jurisdiction.. Why not close down the casinos in Nevada? Gambling is illegal.. So, why is this any different?

    • 3 years ago
  • musicianbum
  • unimatrix0
  • dariusvons
  • meddelem
  • davzap
  • sasquatch88
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