PROP. 1 DEFEAT NOT END OF THE LINE

A Proposed Bill May Allow The Use Of Medicinal Marijuana.

Supporters of medicinal marijuana continue to pursue legalization of the
drug for use by seriously ill patients.

A bill to decriminalize medicinal marijuana awaits action by the Health
Care Policy Committee, but two state representatives from Columbia doubt
the bill will make it out of committee.

Dan Viets, a supporter of Proposition 1, the marijuana ordinance defeated
in Tuesday's city election, said the House bill would let Missouri voters
decide whether to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs, or
drugs that are considered to have no recognized medical use.

Effects Of The Referendum

If the referendum were successful, Missouri residents would be able to
smoke marijuana with a doctor's authorization and cultivate up to three
mature marijuana plants, which Viets described as barely enough for a
steady supply. Missouri could also certify not-for-profit organizations to
dispense marijuana so people with a doctor's support could obtain marijuana
easily and legally.

"It's waiting to see whether the chair will call for a vote on it," Viets
said. But, frankly, we're not pushing him to call a vote on it until we see
how that vote will go."

Rep. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, sits on the Health Care Policy Committee.
After the hearing for House Bill 644, he said he is prepared to vote
against it, should the committee chair decide to hold a vote to bring the
bill out of committee.

Harris says bill 'doesn't have much of a chance'

As for the bill's chances of getting to the floor for debate, Harris has
his doubts. "My only estimate of its chances would be based on the
questions that were raised in opposition to the bill at the hearing.
Inferring from those questions, the bill doesn't have much of a chance," he
said.

Rep. Vicky Riback-Wilson, who supported the bill, also said the measure
won't make it out of committee.

"It's a dead bill. It's not going anywhere." she said. "If we want to talk
about helping people with medical problems, we should talk about people who
will lose access to medical care because of cuts to Medicaid."

Harris and Wilson both said that HB644 had no relationship to Columbia's
recently defeated Proposition