Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Columbia - Uses of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes and racial profiling were the main topics at a candidate forum on civil liberties Thursday at the Columbia Country Club.
Eight candidates running for local, state and national elections answered questions from the audience and the moderator, KFRU radio host David Lile. About 10 people attended, and most were senior citizens.
Each candidate discussed a wide range of topics including legislative ethics reform, governmental regulation on religion, and poverty. However, discussions on marijuana and racial profiling dominated the forum.
Medical and recreational uses of marijuana
Five out of eight candidates were asked questions about legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational uses.
Republicans Cheri Reisch* and Don Waterman and Independent William Lee, who are all running for seats in the Missouri House, did not speak in favor of medical marijuana, but said more research on health benefits is needed before legalizing medical use.
The Democrats Tom Pauley and Gordon Christensen, on the other hand, said medical marijuana is necessary for pain control. Pauley is running for the 44th District House seat and Christensen for the Fourth Congressional District.
Christensen, a retired medical professor at MU, said the federal government has not been allowed to do research to figure out unintended consequences when legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational, but added that he supports medical use.
"I (support it) because I think there are a very few options at this time for pain control," Christensen said. "And pain control is a very important issue."
Pauley said legalizing medical marijuana may be better than using pharmaceutical pain killers.
"Medical marijuana is starting to prove to be a salvation for a lot of folks," Pauley said. And marijuana is "something that is God-given."
He compared the state and federal bans on marijuana to prohibition-era bans on alcohol. Even with government bans on the drug, people will still continue to use it, he said.
"It's working in Colorado, it's working in Washington, and it's working in other states," Pauley said. "It's going to happen. Let's go ahead and put a tax on it."
Pauley's opponent Reisch had a different opinion.
"I grew up in the 60s, 70s and 80s... I've known a lot of people that have smoked pot," Reisch said. "It's like alcohol with drunk driving - I would hate to see people out there high and driving their cars down the street."
Lee said for him to support legalizing recreational use, he would have to see proof that legalizing it would not make more people vulnerable to drug addiction, and it would not increase accidents by those are already addicted.
Racial profiling
When asked about racial profiling, most candidates said it is a matter of individual perception towards others.
"There is only one person in the world that I can really, really influence," Christensen said. "And that's myself."
Lee and Waterman echoed Christensen's statement, saying people tend to segregate themselves in the community and an individual's discriminatory attitude towards police officers need to change.
"Try to keep a good attitude, put a smile on your face, and it changes a lot of people's mood," Lee said.
Waterman said Columbia has been fortunate that there has not been a strong implicit bias against police officers, noting officers have a reason to arrest people. He added that he would like to see more minorities join police forces and run for the legislative seats.
Lynn Maloney, a member of Race Matters, Friends, said she was not happy about the candidates' discussion on racial profiling.
"The discussion about racism really being a matter of personal choice, and that we tend to segregate ourselves were shockingly ignorant to me," Maloney said.
Thursday's forum was sponsored by the Boone County Libertarian Party, the Missouri Civil Liberties Association, Race Matters, Friends, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
News Moderator: @Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana And The Racial Profiling Main Focus Of Forum On Civil Liberties
Author: Sean Na
Contact: 573-882-5714
Photo Credit: Kyrda Hedrick
Website: Missourian
Eight candidates running for local, state and national elections answered questions from the audience and the moderator, KFRU radio host David Lile. About 10 people attended, and most were senior citizens.
Each candidate discussed a wide range of topics including legislative ethics reform, governmental regulation on religion, and poverty. However, discussions on marijuana and racial profiling dominated the forum.
Medical and recreational uses of marijuana
Five out of eight candidates were asked questions about legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational uses.
Republicans Cheri Reisch* and Don Waterman and Independent William Lee, who are all running for seats in the Missouri House, did not speak in favor of medical marijuana, but said more research on health benefits is needed before legalizing medical use.
The Democrats Tom Pauley and Gordon Christensen, on the other hand, said medical marijuana is necessary for pain control. Pauley is running for the 44th District House seat and Christensen for the Fourth Congressional District.
Christensen, a retired medical professor at MU, said the federal government has not been allowed to do research to figure out unintended consequences when legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational, but added that he supports medical use.
"I (support it) because I think there are a very few options at this time for pain control," Christensen said. "And pain control is a very important issue."
Pauley said legalizing medical marijuana may be better than using pharmaceutical pain killers.
"Medical marijuana is starting to prove to be a salvation for a lot of folks," Pauley said. And marijuana is "something that is God-given."
He compared the state and federal bans on marijuana to prohibition-era bans on alcohol. Even with government bans on the drug, people will still continue to use it, he said.
"It's working in Colorado, it's working in Washington, and it's working in other states," Pauley said. "It's going to happen. Let's go ahead and put a tax on it."
Pauley's opponent Reisch had a different opinion.
"I grew up in the 60s, 70s and 80s... I've known a lot of people that have smoked pot," Reisch said. "It's like alcohol with drunk driving - I would hate to see people out there high and driving their cars down the street."
Lee said for him to support legalizing recreational use, he would have to see proof that legalizing it would not make more people vulnerable to drug addiction, and it would not increase accidents by those are already addicted.
Racial profiling
When asked about racial profiling, most candidates said it is a matter of individual perception towards others.
"There is only one person in the world that I can really, really influence," Christensen said. "And that's myself."
Lee and Waterman echoed Christensen's statement, saying people tend to segregate themselves in the community and an individual's discriminatory attitude towards police officers need to change.
"Try to keep a good attitude, put a smile on your face, and it changes a lot of people's mood," Lee said.
Waterman said Columbia has been fortunate that there has not been a strong implicit bias against police officers, noting officers have a reason to arrest people. He added that he would like to see more minorities join police forces and run for the legislative seats.
Lynn Maloney, a member of Race Matters, Friends, said she was not happy about the candidates' discussion on racial profiling.
"The discussion about racism really being a matter of personal choice, and that we tend to segregate ourselves were shockingly ignorant to me," Maloney said.
Thursday's forum was sponsored by the Boone County Libertarian Party, the Missouri Civil Liberties Association, Race Matters, Friends, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
News Moderator: @Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana And The Racial Profiling Main Focus Of Forum On Civil Liberties
Author: Sean Na
Contact: 573-882-5714
Photo Credit: Kyrda Hedrick
Website: Missourian
