WHITE HOUSE SAYS NO TO LEGAL DRUGS

Scott Burns said he wasn't in Columbia on Thursday to campaign against a
city marijuana initiative, but the message he brought from Washington left
no doubt about how the White House views efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

"Why would we encourage or support something that's devastating?" the
deputy director for state and local affairs for the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy asked at a news conference. "We need to send a
message as adults that more drugs is not a good thing."

The Argument Against the Proposition

Flanked by federal law officers and city Police Chief Randy Boehm, Burns
outlined what he said were the goals of President Bush: preventing drug use
before it starts, stopping drug trafficking and "healing America's drug users."

Burns, who was invited to Columbia by ACT Missouri, insisted he was here
merely to educate residents. He never mentioned Proposition 1, a proposed
city ordinance on Tuesday's ballot that would allow seriously ill patients
to possess small amounts of marijuana with a doctor's recommendation, send
all possession cases of up to 35 grams to municipal court and reduce the
fines for possession.

Other Opinions

MU law student Anthony Johnson, who drafted the ballot initiative,
questioned the legality of Burns' visit on the grounds that public funds
were being used for campaigning.

"He's claiming to stop misinformation, but he's really spreading more
misinformation," Johnson said. "He's come here from Washington, D.C., to
confuse and muddle the issue."

The Government's Position

During a luncheon after the news conference, Burns spoke for several
minutes about marijuana, calling it addictive and harmful. "It's heavy and
dangerous," he said, "not the ditch weed Cheech and Chong were smoking 20
years ago."

Other Voices

Eve Pearson, president of the Mid-Missouri Coalition on Adolescent
Concerns/Community 2000, took a more personal tone in her remarks, singling
out marijuana-reform advocate Dan Viets, a Columbia lawyer who attended the
luncheon.

"Dan Viets, this is for you," Pearson said. "When you can solve the
underage drinking problem, then we'll talk about marijuana."

Sherryl Laws, mother and social worker, shared the story of her teenage
son's dependence on marijuana and how she thought that the punishment he
received was too lenient.

Three seniors from Christian Fellowship School spoke about the availability
of marijuana, and how its negative effects had permeated their school.

"You cannot look me in the eye and say it's for the terminally ill. That's
ridiculous. I'm not stupid. I just want you to know that from my
perspective, you're crazy," said Rachel Niewoehner, a student at the school.

First Ward Councilwoman Almeta Crayton challenged the authors of
Proposition 1 to tell her why they failed to include protection for mothers
kicked out of public housing because their children or others were caught
dealing marijuana in their homes.

As Pearson made her closing remarks, Proposition 1 supporter Bob Kunkler
raised his hand but was told no questions were being taken and there wasn't
time. Afterward, Kunkler said it was his understanding that Bush had left
drug policy up to local communities.

The case in favor of the proposition

"Now he's sent someone from Washington," Kunkler said. "When did the
president change his mind?"

ACT President Peggy Quigg said the luncheon was an "open discussion with an
open dialogue" and"inot intended to be a debate."

Viets, president of the Missouri Chapter of the National Organization for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said that most of the speakers had little to
say about the ordinance.

Heated debate

At the morning news conference, Burns cited the state motto. "Show Me," he
said, "why more drugs is a good thing for Columbia. Most kids are not using
drugs. Why subject them to the notion that more drugs might be a good thing?"

Burns said that decriminalizing marijuana would make the drug more readily
available and promote use of the drug to children.

"There's not a shred of evidence to support that," Viets said. "Communities
that have passed similar ordinances haven't experienced any increase in use.i

Quigg also spoke at the news conference, holding up a bag of loose tobacco
and tobacco rolled into cigarettes. "This is what 35 grams of marijuana
looks like this is 45 to 50 cigarettes. That's not a small quantity of
marijuana -- that's a lot."

The link between marijuana cases and student financial aid continued to be
a source of friction. Burns accused the drafters of the proposed ordinance
of trying to trick the federal government by saying, 'Ha! It was a Columbia
law' that says a student convicted of marijuana in a city court can answer
'no' to the question regarding prior drug convictions.

"The thinking behind that law is that if you're going to smoke dope, weire
not going to pay for your education," Burns said.

Johnson and Viets both said that the law is clear on the U.S. Department of
Education Web site featuring the federal financial aid application:
Financial aid is only jeopardized by convictions in state or federal court,
not municipal court. At the end of the luncheon, Viets said he doubted the
effectiveness of the White House efforts.

"I doubt this will build any momentum against us as long as people are
getting the facts. I think we'll win a narrow victory," he said, "but the
vote could still go either way."