The argument that medical marijuana could help curb the opioid epidemic has prompted a Columbia city councilman to endorse a resolution in support of legalizing medical marijuana in Missouri.

Second Ward Councilman Michael Trapp presented a draft resolution to the Columbia City Council on Monday, trying to gauge the council’s desire to discuss the idea.

The resolution states the city should lobby state lawmakers to pass legislation decriminalizing medical marijuana and support the Missouri Medical Marijuana Initiative sponsored by the New Approach Missouri Campaign Committee.

Organizers with New Approach have been collecting signatures of individuals in support of placing a medical marijuana initiative on the November 2018 ballot.

More than 73,000 signatures had been collected by the beginning of October, according to the New Approach website. The group in October hoped to collect an average of 15,000 signatures monthly for the next four months. Another 130,000 signatures have been collected by paid petitioners, according to New Approach.

“In general, I wouldn’t bring forward a” resolution to “recommend to the voters that we address medical marijuana because I don’t see a reason to attach the Columbia City Council to broad state and national social issues and events,” Trapp said. “We have enough to deal with locally, but the opioid epidemic is killing people in large numbers.”

In Boone County, 43 people died of opioid overdoses, including prescription pills and heroin, from 2012-2016, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Trapp said local attorney Dan Viets wrote the resolution, which was sent to city Counselor Nancy Thompson for editing. Viets approached Trapp about the resolution during the council’s discussions about implementing a prescription drug monitoring program, using the argument that medical marijuana would decrease dependency on addictive prescription painkillers.

The council approved joining the St. Louis County prescription drug monitoring program, which requires pharmacies to submit patients’ prescription information into a database that tracks opioids and other controlled substances.

In states where medical marijuana is legal, the number of accidental opioid overdoses has decreased and fewer people have migrated from prescription pain pills to heroin, a cheaper and more easily accessible opioid, Trapp said.

A study released in February from the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego showed states that legalized medical marijuana experienced a 23 percent drop in opioid dependence or abuse and a 13 percent decrease in opioid overdoses.

Trapp said he hopes the council will pass the resolution in mid-December, in time for state lawmakers to take notice when they start pre-filing bills, which starts Dec. 1. He said Columbia passing a medical marijuana resolution may not be meaningful to a Republican-majority General Assembly because of the city's liberal reputation, but if other cities do the same, maybe lawmakers will listen.

Fourth Ward Councilman Ian Thomas has said he supports the resolution.

Mayor Brian Treece said he would like to see a medical marijuana bill filed in the legislature for the 2018 session before passing a resolution to "blindly" endorse legislation. He said he also wants to hear feedback from the local medical community.

When asked for her opinion about the resolution, Stephanie Browning, director of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, said she needs to do more research before giving the council feedback.

Council members said they are open to bringing the resolution back up for discussion on Dec. 18.

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