Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a debate between Mr. John W. Payne (Executive Director, Show-Me Cannabis) and Sgt. Jason Grellner (President, Missouri Narcotics Officers’ Association) on whether marijuana should be legalized in the state of Missouri.
While I have been somewhat “on the fence” about taking an official stance on this issue (there are pro’s and cons to both sides of the argument), I am glad I was able to be present for this event.  Mr. Payne’s work with Show-Me Cannabis presented a very strong, evidence-based, socio-eceonomic and scientific case for the legalization of marijuana.
Show-Me Cannabis’s polling statistics show that roughly half of Missourians are in favor of marijuana legalization, and both Payne’s and Grellner’s data points indicate that there is a clear need for Missouri voters and legislators to seriously consider the issue and open it for further discussion.
I commend the St. Louis Board of Aldermen’s effort earlier this summer to serve the will of City residents by passing an ordinance which decriminalized marijuana in St. Louis.

A link to the debate coverage on Fox2 News is included below.  As someone interested in representing the residents of all of the 78th District, I’m eager to hear your thoughts…

http://fox2now.com/2013/12/18/battle-over-legalizing-marijuana-squares-off-in-public-debate/