CITY CLERK VALIDATES MARIJUANA PETITIONS

A group of University of Missouri-Columbia students seeking to
decriminalize small amounts of marijuana gathered enough signatures on an
initiative petition to ensure that their proposed measure will make the
April ballot.

The Columbia City Clerk's office yesterday said the petitions, circulated
by the Columbia Alliance for Patients and Education, contained 1,285 valid
signatures. The group needed 1,191 valid signatures.

Two ordinances related to the petition drive are scheduled for introduction
at a Columbia City Council meeting Monday. The ordinances would be voted on
at the council's Jan. 20 meeting.

The first ordinance would adopt the proposed measure, which seeks to direct
all people charged with possessing 35 grams of marijuana or less to
municipal court, limit punishments for possession to small fines and ask
city prosecutors to dismiss charges against people who use marijuana for
medicinal purposes under the direction of a doctor.

If the council defeats the first ordinance, it would pass a second
ordinance that would place the proposal on the April 8 ballot.