DRUG CZAR SENDS FLUNKIES TO TRY TO STOP COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, MARIJUANA
INITIATIVE

The Office of National Drug Control Policy
(http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov)
sent deputy czar Scott Burns and speechwriter Kevin Sabet to Colombia,
MO, Thursday in an attempt to put the brakes on a popular initiative
that would send minor marijuana offenders into municipal court instead
of state court.

The move marks the return of ONDCP's efforts to defeat marijuana
initiatives wherever they pop up, an effort that saw drug czar John
Walters travel widely during last fall's election season in order to
urge voters to reject such initiatives.

Walters and the ONDCP are already under fire for their intervention in
state and local politics, most notably by the Marijuana Policy
Project, which has filed campaign financing and ethics complaints
against Walters for his attacks on a failed MPP-sponsored marijuana
legalization initiative in Nevada last fall. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)
opened up another front in the battle against ONCDCP interference in
elections on Wednesday when he formally requested that the General
Accounting Office investigate Burns for sending a November 2002 letter
to prosecutors nationwide urging them to rally against marijuana
reform efforts. (Visit http://www.mpp.org/WarOnDrugCzar/ for
information on both topics.)

The initiative in question in Columbia, known as Proposition 1, would
mandate that all marijuana possession arrests for less than 35 grams
be handled in municipal court, thus allowing students in this
University of Missouri college town to avoid losing federal financial
aid under the anti-drug provision of the Higher Education Act.
Columbia police currently have the option of sending minor offenders
to either municipal or state court. The initiative, if passed, would
remove that discretion. The initiative also includes protections for
medical marijuana users and mandates a maximum $25 fine for a first
small-time marijuana possession offense.

"We always assumed that if they ever found out about the initiative
that they would probably increase the anti-marijuana ads in this town,
but I don't think we ever thought they would come down and campaign
against it," said Amy Fritz, development director for the Columbia
Alliance for Patients and Education (CAPE). "They may not be saying
'vote no,' but it's not a mere coincidence that they're coming here."

Burns was certainly tiptoeing around any voting recommendations in
Columbia Thursday, according to Fritz, who attended a luncheon where
he rallied the troops against the measure. "Burns was very careful to
not say to vote against Prop. 1," she told DRCNet, "although everyone
else at the luncheon was pretty specific that they wanted the
initiative defeated." Other attendees at the event included local
political figures, worried parents, and members of anti-drug groups
such as Act Missouri (http://www.moact.org), which sponsored the event.

Although Burns and Sabet were careful not to overtly influence the
election, their intent was clear. "We're not here to tell people how
to vote," Sabet demurred in a pre-arrival statement. "The president
has a strategy to reduce drug abuse, and any attempt to decriminalize
or legalize drugs runs counter to our mission.

Burns would not be telling people how to vote, said Sabet; instead, he
would be "clearing up misinformation." Sabet then proceeded to provide
a sterling example of misinformation himself, claiming that marijuana
puts more teenagers in drug treatment every year than alcohol and
other drugs combined, but failing to note that the majority of those
teens in treatment for pot are there under court order by judges who
view any marijuana use as evidence of abuse or addiction.

The content of Thursday luncheon cum pep rally was strikingly similar,
said Fritz. "They trotted out the same tired propaganda," she said.
"It's ironic indeed that they claim they came to town to clear up
misinformation when they are the ones bringing the misinformation,"
she said. One striking example cited by Fritz was Burns' assertion
that even a municipal court conviction for marijuana could cause
students to lose federal financial aid under the HEA anti-drug
provision. "These are blatant mistruths," said Fritz. "We have looked
at the federal student loan application forms, and they clearly
specify that it is only for a state or federal offense."

Despite the attack of the drug warriors, Fritz and CAPE are cautiously
optimistic about the chances for victory in next week's vote. "We are
confident; we have polls showing us five points ahead, and we are
continuing to work hard at getting our supporters out to vote. We
think it will be extremely close."

Armed with $10,000 from MPP, $15,000 from the Drug Policy Alliance
(http://www.drugpolicy.org), and about $5,000 raised from individual
donors, CAPE is pulling out the stops as the hour draws near. "We're
using that money for phone banking, to purchase a voter file to
identify supporters, and to help mobilize our corps of volunteers to
help get the vote out on Tuesday," said Fritz.

Regardless of the election outcome, reformers have already won a
victory of sorts in Columbia. In an effort to dry up votes for the
initiative, Police Chief Randy Boehm, an avowed opponent of the
measure, announced late last month that the department would now make
it official policy to divert anyone caught with less than 35 grams to
municipal court.

Previously, police had wavered, sending some to municipal court and
some to state court.

But that's not good enough, said Fritz. "We are encouraged by the
chief's move," she said, "even though we're certain he did it to try
to dissuade voters from seeing the need to pass the initiative. It
will allow the voters to see that the chief has acknowledged
inconsistencies in enforcement of the law, but a policy change is not
the law, a policy change can be undone. We need to pass Prop 1."