missouri cannabis Archives

Missouri Committee Votes to Legalize Medical Marijuana

April 9, 2018 by Anthony Martinelli

A key legislative committee in Missouri’s House of Representatives has approved a bill to legalize medical marijuana.

The State House Committee on Legislative Oversight voted 7 to 4 today to pass House Bill 1554, reports Eapen Thampy, a medical marijuana lobbyist. The proposed law, filed by Representative James Neely, would expand “the definition of investigational drug, biological product, or device so that it can include medical cannabis.” Under this provision, “a dispensing organization or manufacturer of an investigational drug, biological product, or device that has successfully completed phase one of a clinical trial but has not been approved for general use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and remains under investigation in a clinical trial can be made available to certain eligible patients who have terminal illnesses.”

This bill also “changes the law regarding the use of hemp extract to treat intractable epilepsy to authorize the legal use of medical marijuana to treat terminal illnesses”, and “authorizes the Department of Health and Senior Services to issue medical cannabis registration cards to any Missouri resident, 18 years old or older, who can provide a statement signed by a doctor stating that the individual suffers from a terminal illness and may benefit from treatment with medical cannabis and that the individual has considered all other treatment options currently approved by the FDA and all relevant clinical trials conducted in Missouri.”

Kansas City Voters Decriminalize Marijuana

April 4, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Kansas City voters have passed an initiative to decriminalize marijuana.

Marijuana will soon be decriminalized in Missouri’s most populated city after voters gave approval tonight to Question 5. The initiative decriminalizes the possession of up to 35 grams of cannabis for those 21 and older, making it a simple $25 ticket. Under current law possessing 10 to 35 grams is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail; possessing less than 10 grams is a misdemeanor but with no jail time for a first offense, although subsequent offense can result in up to a year in jail.

Below is the exact ballot question approved by voters:

Missouri Secretary of State Gives Approval to Cannabis Legalization Initiative

January 11, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander has given approval to an initiative that would legalize cannabis for those 21+.

In addition to legalizing cannabis for those 21 and older, the initiative would legalize medical cannabis for minors; given they have a qualifying condition and receive a recommendation from a physician.

The approval gives advocates the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures in an attempt to put the measure to a vote of the people in the 2018 general election. They must collect 82,000 valid signatures by May of next year to accomplish this.

A similar measure fell just 23 signatures short last year of being on the November ballot.

Missouri Governor Signs Cannabis Expungement Bill

July 19, 2016July 18, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

Governor Jay Nixon (D) has signed into law a bill that allows for the expungement of most cannabis convictions, both misdemeanors and felonies.

Senate Bill 588 would allow those convicted of cannabis misdemeanors to expunge (remove) it from their record after a three year period; this would mean that the charge would not appear on a criminal background check. Those convicted of felony possession would also be allowed to have the charge expunged, though they would need to wait seven years rather than three. In either instance, fines will need to be paid in full for an expungement to occur.

Missouri Man Serving Life in Prison for Cannabis to be Set Free Tomorrow

August 31, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

Jeff Mizanskey, a Missouri man who’s been in prison for over 20 years serving life without parole for a cannabis charge, will be set free tomorrow, September 1st.

Jeff, who was arrested in 1993 on his third non-violent cannabis-related charge, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole as part of the state’s three-strike law, had his sentence commuted by Governor Jay Nixon in May, which led to a parole hearing on August 6th. Officials quickly decided to grant Mizanskey parole after being imprisoned for 21 years. Jeff, who’s 61-years old, will officially walk free from Jefferson City Correctional Center between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Medical Cannabis and Hemp Legalization Bills Move Forward in Missouri

April 7, 2015April 7, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

By Aaron Malin, Show-Me Cannabis

Last week was an excellent one for cannabis legalization efforts in the Missouri legislature. On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted 5-0 to advance SB 255, which allows licensed individuals to grow industrial hemp. Along with HB 830, this bill represents the very real prospect that Missouri could return to its rightful place as a national — or even world — leader in hemp production and processing.

A medical cannabis bill advanced in the House of Representatives, when HB 800 was approved by the House Select Committee on General Laws by a vote of 8-0 on Tuesday. It is extremely encouraging to see how much support there is for medical cannabis legislation in the legislature. However, the flaws in this particular piece of legislation are mounting.

Cannabis Expungement Bill Filed in Missouri

March 2, 2015March 1, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

Missouri State Senator Bob Dixon, a Republican from Springfield, has filed Senate Bill 451, a proposal to allow for the expungement of most cannabis convictions from all public records.

Senate Bill 451 was drafted by a Missouri Bar Association committee, and has the support of the Missouri Bar Board of Governors, the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

If approved into law, those with cannabis convictions – other than Class A felonies – would be eligible to have the charges removed from their records. A provision in the bill specifically authorizes an individual who has his record expunge to deny that the charge ever occurred.

Missouri Bill to Free those Serving Life in Prison for Cannabis Takes Leap Forward

February 26, 2015February 26, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

By Aaron Malin, Show-Me Cannabis

A bill that would require the release of any offender serving life without parole for marijuana offenses has moved forward in the Missouri legislature. House Bill 978, introduced by Representative Shamed Dogan, was assigned this week to the House Corrections Committee, and a hearing was immediately scheduled for next Wednesday, March 4, at 8:00 a.m. in House Hearing Room 5. The bill would require the release of 61-year-old great-grandfather Jeff Mizanskey, who has been incarcerated for twenty-one years on a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Initiative to Legalize Cannabis Being Filed this Week in Missouri

November 3, 2014 by Anthony Martinelli

The nonprofit organization Show-Me Cannabis plans to file paperwork this week for a ballot initiative that would ask Missouri voters whether or not they want to legalize the possess, use and sale of recreational cannabis. The group, which will file the petition with the Secretary of State’s Office, is aiming to put the initiative on the 2016 presidential election ballot.

According to John Payne, executive director of Show-Me Cannabis, the initiative will be a constitutional amendment, legalizing cannabis possession and sales, while also allowing those with non-violent cannabis possession charges to have them expunged from their records.