The Missouri Senate (briefly) discussed legalizing medical marijuana

JEFFERSON CITY — A Missouri Democrat on Tuesday put the state Senate in the unusual position of discussing a medical marijuana legalization proposal that was dead from the get-go.

The Senate was discussing a bill that would put certain limits on opioid prescriptions, allow federally recognized entities to collect unused controlled substances and lower the minimum age for certain vaccinations.

Then, Sen. Jason Holsman put forward a 31-page amendment to allow for a state-run medical marijuana system administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Multiple Republicans immediately stood in opposition to the proposal, and a formal point of order was raised, steering the discussion away from the underlying bill and opening up a debate about cannabis.

Holsman, D-Kansas City, argued that there are people in Missouri who genuinely benefit from marijuana, as opposed to goofy, glassy-eyed stereotypes like Jeff Spicoli, the affable stoner that actor Sean Penn depicted in the 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, accused Holsman of "trying to hijack a pharmaceutical bill" and said the amendment could lead to children ending up in the hospital with marijuana poisoning. (There has never been a fatal marijuana overdose, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.)

Several medical marijuana advocacy efforts are operating in Missouri this year, including groups gathering signatures to put the choice of whether to legalize cannabis for medicinal use before Missourians.

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Holsman told the News-Leader he largely pulled from the ballot language proposed by a group called New Approach Missouri, which proposes taxing medical marijuana at 4 percent and putting the revenue toward health care services for veterans. Another group, called Better Way Missouri, is pushing a form of legalization through the legislature; a House committee has advanced that bill, though it needs additional approval before reaching the floor.

Holsman told the News-Leader that his internal polling has shown overwhelming support for medical marijuana legalization in his district and across the state. He added that this appeared to be an issue on which the people of Missouri were ahead of their lawmakers.

Holsman also said he wanted to move away from the rhetoric of the War on Drugs "into the 21st-century discussion of a regulated industry that works well in 29 other states that our citizens should have access to."

During a lively exchange on the Senate floor, Holsman told Onder that this was the chance for opponents like Onder to have a say in shaping Missouri's medical marijuana policy before Missourians take matters into their own hands.

"He let it go," Holsman told the News-Leader afterward. "He would rather have a short-term victory over a long-term say in what it looks like. This might not be the last time that I give him the opportunity, though."

Onder, on the floor, noted that the federal government still considers marijuana a Schedule I drug, meaning the DEA says it has "a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological and/or physical dependence."

"All I've done today is safeguard the integrity of the Senate," Onder said later on the floor by way of explaining his opposition. He declined the News-Leader's request for an interview after the debate.

Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, is a medical doctor like Onder but views the possible advent of medical marijuana in Missouri in a different light.

"We need to, like, open our eyes and come out of the dark ages here," Schaaf said.

Schaaf agreed with Holsman that voters would support amending the Missouri Constitution to legalize medical marijuana in some form, and he said that he believed hundreds, if not thousands, of people were currently incarcerated in Missouri due to simple pot possession. For example, he said, there are people who test positive on a drug test and violate the terms of their parole.

Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, agreed with Onder that marijuana could lead people to ingest much more damaging substances.

"I do still think that it is a gateway drug," Brown said.

The Senate later gave its initial approval for the original bill, sponsored by Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, after the amendment was dropped.