Democrats, Republicans agree

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In my last two columns, I have given several reasons why I believe legalizing marijuana for personal use is wrong. But I understand that most Missouri citizens have a different opinion.

So, on Thursday, I drove to the community of Swiss and listened to Eapen Thampy — a lobbyist for the legalization of marijuana in Missouri — explain why supporters of cannabis are against Amendment 3.

Thampy clarified that this amendment was written for the Missouri Medical Marijuana industry by lawyers paid for by George Soros.

Other names behind Amendment 3 include Good Day Farms, BLM activist Justice Gaston, defund the police architects Empower Missouri and other groups with an anti-American agenda. 

The main consequence of Amendment 3 is giving current medical marijuana license holders a permanent monopoly.

The next purpose of Amendment 3 is the creation of a Chief Equity Officer — not appointed by the Governor with advice and consent of the Senate, meaning no representative oversight.

The amendment states, “The Chief Equity Officer shall establish public education programming and target technical assistance programming dedicated to providing communities that have been impacted by marijuana prohibition with information detailing the licensing process.”

Many believe that the Chief Equity Officer will create Critical Race Theory programming in our schools that many parents have fought hard to eliminate. This officer will have the complete protection of the law to direct a woke agenda, and the Governor, nor any other elected official, will have the power to remove them from office.

According to Thampy, in January, Empower Missouri Executive Director Mallory Rusch told The Missouri Independent the passage of Amendment 3 is the first step towards a much broader piece of constitutional legislation.

Supporters believe the reason an initiative petition was required to put Amendment 3 on this year’s ballot was the inactivity of our state representatives to deal with the marijuana issue. That is false.

State Representative Ron Hicks, at the behest of Governor Mike Parson, filed House Bill 2704 the Cannabis Freedom Act in February. Guess who was against it? According to Thampy, “Missouri’s medical marijuana industry, led by the corrupt Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association (MOCannTrade) spent tens of thousands of dollars to oppose Missouri’s elected representatives from taking action on the Cannabis Freedom Act.”

A law passed by the legislature would not allow for the restrictive and monopolistic language found in Amendment 3.

Another discovery I made on Thursday was that the Missouri NAACP is against this amendment. Joining them in opposition are black leaders and representatives LaKeysha Bosley (STL), Ashley Bland-Manlove (KC), Wiley Price (STL), Brennan England, president of Missouri Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Kansas City community activist Derron Black, and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones.

There must be something wrong with Amendment 3 when the Missouri Republican State Executive Committee is joined by leaders of the black community against a common foe.

The Gasconade County Republican is not the only newspaper against Amendment 3. The St. Louis American (the state’s most prominent black newspaper) on Aug. 20 called Amendment 3 “racist” and said “Amendment 3 is perhaps one of the worst recreational cannabis laws that our state could possibly pass.”

You may be wondering why. The answer is in a release by Missouri Democrats, which states that this amendment “may negatively impact minorities, people of color, and low-income earning Missourians.” They add, “Democrats have concerns about the engagement provisions laid out in the amendment, as well as making it difficult for those who do not currently have a license to enter the industry.”

If Amendment 3 passes, it won’t be like the beer industry, where someone with initiative using their blood, sweat and tears can start a craft brewery. The marijuana monopoly will control it. Can you imagine a Constitutional Amendment that would give Anheuser-Busch control over who can own a microbrewery in Missouri?

We all need to vote with our heads, not our hearts on Nov. 8. Whether or not you are for or against the legalization of marijuana, Amendment 3 is wrong for Missouri.

To find out more, visit www.NoOnA3.com or www.NoAmendment3.com.