Prosecuting attorneys and marijuana legalization advocates are battling over the public safety impact from Missouri’s potential approval of recreational marijuana in November.
The Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, in a statement Thursday, warned the measure would make it harder to prosecute people for driving under the influence of marijuana. They also said drug dealers under the age of 21 would only be subject to a civil penalty for giving or selling marijuana to kids.
But legalization advocates and supporters of the amendment, which will be listed on the Missouri ballot as Amendment 3, are calling concerns about marijuana prosecutions overblown. The group that crafted the amendment also said the prosecutors read the amendment incorrectly. A person who sells marijuana to kids would still be subject to a felony under state law, the group said.
“The idea that people can sell to kids and that not be a criminal offense? That’s just false,” said John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022, which spearheaded the amendment. “That remains criminal. We were essentially silent on that and then that falls back to current statute, which are felony offenses. Any sort of distribution outside of the regulated system remains a criminal offense.”
[Read more at The Kansas City Star]
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