GROUPS TO PROMOTE MARIJUANA ON BALLOT

When it comes to ballot issues in the swing state of Missouri, voters have
been more conservative in their decisions at the voting booth lately.
However, with two new propositions on the city's ballot - one promoting the
legalization of medicinal marijuana and another lessening the punishments
for marijuana drug law offenders - the organizers of the Cannabis Crawl
said they hope local Columbia voters will lean to the left this time.

The fourth annual Cannabis Crawl took place Saturday at The Blue Note.

Multiple groups were represented at the event, including the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Students for Sensible
Drug Policy.

This year's Cannabis Crawl might be the organizations' most important yet.
Both groups support a penalty decrease or elimination for offenders,
legalization for medicinal use of the drug and the promotion of industrial
manufacturing of hemp for commercial use.

The Cannabis Crawl was held to advocate the current marijuana issues on the
ballot.

"One of the goals of the Cannabis Crawl is to educate people about the
cannabis plant," NORML President Amanda Broz said. "We are registering
people to vote and telling them about the initiatives that are coming up on
the ballot."

Mayor Darwin Hindman missed the City Council meeting at which the council
had a tied vote over the referendum, so the initiatives were placed on the
November referendum.

The Cannabis Crawl sought to inform the public about beneficial uses of
cannabis apart from the usual medicinal concerns.

Two hemp-powered vehicles were at the Cannabis Crawl to highlight the uses
of biodiesel. Biodiesel can be used on any stock diesel car, and the
emissions of engines running on biodiesel are low. According to the
National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel burns 75 percent cleaner than other
diesel fuels.

"It is basically like someone breathing out," said Terri Zeman, chairwoman
of the greater St. Louis NORML chapter.

The use of hemp as biodiesel is derived from the plant's seeds, and
alternatives to hemp seeds include soybean oil, she said.

"We are not going to war over soybean oil," Zeman said.

Amber Langston, president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said there
are many possibilities for use of industrial hemp.

"You can use hemp for clothing," she said. "You can use hemp for rope. You
can use hemp for paper. You can use hemp for food."

The propositions on this election's ballot remain controversial.

Ten states have legal protections for those using marijuana for medicinal
purposes.

Proposition 1 would allow users of medicinal marijuana to possess less than
35 grams of the substance without reprisal. Proposition 2 would allow
students in Columbia who are convicted of marijuana drug use to keep
financial aid. The proposal also would reduce jail time and move hearings
for possession of less than 35 grams to municipal courts rather than state
courts.

Those at the Cannabis Crawl considered the current punishments for
recreational drug use too harsh.

"We suggest that there be no penalty, and if it is found to be in
disagreement with Missouri constitutional law, then we suggest the lowest
penalty possible," Langston said.

Missouri NORML Coordinator Dan Viets said the main goal of the initiative
is to ensure people caught with marijuana don't lose eligibility for
federal financial aid or have to leave school.

"I don't believe there is a conflict between state and municipal laws,"
Viets said.

The Missouri State NORML Conference will be held Oct. 23 at the Boone
County Government Center to discuss the initiatives. The conference is open
to the public and free of charge.