FROM: Nathan Miller, MPP legislative analyst

Missouri: Bill would restore food stamp eligibility for those convicted of marijuana offenses

As frustrating as it has been to move the medical marijuana bill forward this year, it is encouraging to see progress being made elsewhere. SB 764 would restore food stamp eligibility to Missourians convicted of drug offenses, including marijuana offenses.

The bill was debated by the Senate on March 4, but was set aside without a vote after being attacked by senators who didn't seem think people who have been convicted of drug possession need to eat.

Whether it will be brought back up depends on several things, but one of the most important is whether senators are aware that there is support among their constituency for this bill.

Call your senators today and urge them to support SB 764!

Under the United States Code (USC), persons convicted of a federal or state law involving felonious possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance, including marijuana, can be stripped for life of their eligibility to receive food stamps. Luckily, the USC also allows states to opt out of this ill-advised law, which is exactly what SB 764 would do.

Taking food away from a person and their family because of a marijuana conviction does nothing but breed contempt for our laws and is bad public policy.

The Missouri Association for Social Welfare reports that over 16,000 Missourians currently suffer from this cruel law, which has caused Missouri to lose $14 million in federal funding to aid our citizens.

Please call your senator today and show your support for SB 764. If you are directed to leave a message, it can be as simple as "Hello, my name is ____________, and I am from ____________. Please pass SB 764 so people with marijuana convictions can receive food stamps. Thank you."

Thank you for supporting the marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. Please pass this alert on to others in Missouri who might be interested in helping ensure this bill passes.

Missouri: Urge your state senator to restore food stamp eligibility to those convicted of drug offenses

Please call:

• State Senator Chuck Graham (D-MO-19)
Instructions
Can't call while online? Want to call later? Print this alert.
Please be polite when talking to your senator or the senator's staff.

We have provided some talking points below for you to use in your call.

If you are directed to leave a message, it can be as simple as "Hello, my name is ____________, and I am from ____________. Please pass SB 764 so people with marijuana convictions can receive food stamps. Thank you."

Call Here: (573) 751-2162

Jefferson City office of State Senator Chuck Graham
(please call between 9am & 5pm)

Talking Points:


1) SB 764 would restore food stamp eligibility to Missourians convicted of drug offenses, including marijuana offenses.
2) Under current law, Missourians convicted of drug crimes, but not most other felony offenses, can have their eligibility to receive food stamps stripped for life.
3) Taking food away from a person and their family because of a marijuana conviction does nothing but breed contempt for our laws and is bad public policy.
4) The Missouri Association for Social Welfare reports that over 16,000 Missourians currently suffer from this cruel law, which has caused Missouri to lose $14 million in federal funding to aid our citizens.

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i think i'm using weed as a fill-in, cuz mary always lets me hit it.....

Boy, you sure put the conservative pot smokers on the spot. They're damned if they vote for giving more people food stamps and damned if they don't vote for affirmative pot legislation. I imagine their little pea brains are boiling over with confusion,~LOL~.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

I don't know much about it all, but i thought it was a nice sentiment. what do you mean by 'conservative pot smokers'? you mean comfortable wealth/upper middle class republican or something? I guess this bill wouldn't really hurt them though, seeing as they probably don't even know anyone with food stamps, much less give a damn whether or not they eat. i do feel that the stay-at-home "yummies" (yummy mommies-the hot, soccer mom types) who tend to smoke a lot of herb could probably be pursuaded to support it.

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i think i'm using weed as a fill-in, cuz mary always lets me hit it.....

Or something!!!

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

haha. i actually called Senator Graham's office. nobody answered, so I left him a nice brief, polite message.

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i think i'm using weed as a fill-in, cuz mary always lets me hit it.....

Fuck foodstamps & 90 % of the bums who collect them.

See, comment comes in. Give them the Bums rush, HAHAHEHEHOHO~LOL~.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

It was pretty exciting leaving a message for the Senator though, I must say. I kind of felt important, like my voice actually mattered there for about 20 seconds.

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i think i'm using weed as a fill-in, cuz mary always lets me hit it.....

And then you woke up!

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

right. i wish people actually had as much say in choices our leaders make as they think they do.

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i think i'm using weed as a fill-in, cuz mary always lets me hit it.....