Missourians will have the opportunity to vote for or against the legalization of recreational adult-use marijuana on Nov. 8. As the time nears, organizations across the state are banding together to inform voters about Amendment 3.
In a recent statement, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys outlined their opposition to the amendment.
Dan Patterson, association president and Greene County prosecuting attorney, said adding legislation about recreational marijuana to the state's constitution is "the wrong way to do it."
"The constitution is not a place to put a (39)-page document that deals with everything from licensing to taxation to regulation to punishments to expungement," Patterson said. "This is an experiment that is being proposed in Missouri, and there's no way to fix the parts of it that would go wrong."
Patterson said one of his main concerns with Amendment 3 is how it would impact pre-trial release, probation and parole.
If an individual commits an impaired driving offense, under the influence of marijuana, he said Amendment 3 would prohibit the court from telling the individual to stop using marijuana when they're on bond or probation
"If (an individual is) put into our treatment courts, which are focused on rehabilitation and as an alternative to prison for individuals with substance abuse issues, a treatment court judge ... can't prohibit them under Amendment 3 from using marijuana," Patterson said. "It makes no sense and it's totally contrary to all the best practice."
More:Election 2022: Springfield's guide to candidates and questions on the Nov. 8 ballot in Missouri
John Payne, Legal Missouri 2022 campaign manager, said medical marijuana patients cannot be prohibited from using medical marijuana as a condition of release.
"Patients should not have access to medicine cut off because they are accused, but not yet convicted, of a crime," Payne told the News-Leader.
He said that this provision only applies to medical marijuana patients.
Legal Missouri 2022 is the organization which backed Amendment 3's placement on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The concluding point in the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys' statement outlines the potency of "today's marijuana."
"The public's really been misled by an effort to say that marijuana is not a dangerous drug," Patterson said. "The thing is, for those who believe that we should accept scientifically established truths, such as climate change, we should also accept the scientifically proven truths about marijuana and its dangers in terms of mental and physical health."
Patterson said the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys utilizes resources from Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group of national organizations and individuals who wish to educate the public about the harms of marijuana legalization.
At the end of the association's statement, a list of links to Smart Approaches to Marijuana web pages can be found, including information about "the link between the opening of dispensaries and crime" and "why legalization fails to advance racial equity."
The statement also references statistics from Colorado that indicate there was an increase in traffic fatalities where the driver tested positive for marijuana after marijuana was legalized for recreational use there.
More:Here's what campaigning looks like for and against recreational marijuana in Missouri
Springfield police chief, Greene County sheriff oppose
One coalition of Missouri organizations against Amendment 3 is Save Our State, established by former state representative Scott Dieckhaus. The coalition is made up of nearly 10 organizations, including the Missouri Police Chiefs Association.
The Missouri Police Chiefs Association released a public statement on Tuesday, citing its potential to weaken public health and safety.
"A careful reading of the 39 pages of Amendment 3 shows it ties the hands of law enforcement in investigating serious crimes," the statement reads. "Its language is so vague and lacks so many definitions, it undermines public safety."
Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams, who is the past president of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, said his opinion aligns with the association's as a member.
His concern includes numerous public safety issues.
"These issues include a negative impact on traffic safety with more drivers under the influence on the roads," Williams said in his statement. "The illegal marijuana market will still exist and require additional police resources to investigate, and even if marijuana is legalized, it will not reduce the number of drug abusers and their collateral effects on crime and public safety."
The Missouri Sheriffs' Association is also a part of the Save Our State coalition. The association released a statement about its opposition to the amendment on Oct. 26.
Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott told the News-Leader that he is opposed to Amendment 3 and all recreational marijuana legislation. One of his biggest concerns is how legalization would impact the safety of drivers.
"When you're under the influence of alcohol or marijuana, you don't always make good decisions, let's put it that way," Arnott said. "That's where we come in, having to deal with the bad decisions people make, whether it's fatality accident or it leads to some kind of other issue."
One of the points made in the association's statement outlines the "risks" Amendment 3 could create in the workplace and schools. Arnott said he has not done personal research on recreational marijuana's impact on schools or children, but he sees the potential for harm.
"As you have more access to anything, kids are going to take advantage of it," Arnott said. "Just like if you have prescription drugs at home and they're not well attended, then they end up in the hands of kids and then they end up in the school. I don't see why marijuana would be any different."
Other organizations involved with Save Our State are the Missouri Narcotics Officers Association, Missouri Hospital Association, Missouri State Medical Association, Missouri Catholic Conference, Missouri Southern Baptist Association and Missouri Farm Bureau.
If passed, Amendment 3 would:
- Remove state prohibitions on purchasing, possessing, consuming, using, delivering, manufacturing and selling marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of 21;
- Require a registration card for personal cultivation with prescribed limits;
- Allow persons with certain marijuana-related non-violent offenses to petition for release from incarceration or parole and probation and have records cleared;
- Establish a lottery selection process to award licenses and certificates;
- Issue equally distributed licenses to each congressional district; and
- Impose a 6% tax on the retail price of marijuana to benefit various programs.
How to prepare for the general election in Missouri
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
To check your voter registration status or register to vote online, visit the Missouri Secretary of State website atsos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register.
During the two weeks prior to the election, voters can use a no-excuse absentee ballot in person at a location designated by a local election authority. When voting absentee in person, voters must have anacceptable form of photo ID, including a driver's license, nondriver license, U.S. Passport or military ID.
