MARIJUANA LAWS NEED ALTERATION, SAYS VIETS

"Hemp For Victory."

This was the title of a film produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1942, encouraging farmers to grow hemp as a fiber crop to replace the product that had previously been imported from Japan, India and the Philippines.

"Hemp was used in the manufacture of rope, yarn, twine and other fiber products," said Dan Viets, an attorney from Columbia. "This is the same hemp that is more commonly known as marijuana, pot, grass, cannabis hemp and other names. Now, you can be arrested for having it in the privacy of your own home."

Viet, who is coordinator for the Missouri chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, was guest speaker Saturday afternoon to a small group of students at the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

"Hemp For Victory" was one of two films shown by Viets during the two-hour program. The topic of a second video was "Medical Marijuana," which discussed the merits of allowing physicians to write prescriptions for marijuana to patients with certain illnesses.

The eight students in attendance Saturday were members of the local chapter of Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP).

"We have a list of about 50 members in HEMP," said Lakota Douglas, who founded the local group. "But, we usually only have about eight to 10 people at our bi-monthly meetings."

Viets said, "We feel that reform of marijuana laws will erase many problems connected with the use of it. It's comparable to liquor prohibition, which created many problems which led to violence until the law was repealed. Legalization of marijuana would eliminate many of the problems that its prohibition has created."

Viets discussed legislation that is now in the Missouri General Assembly concerning "medical marijuana" and "property forfeiture laws."

"This marks the second year that the a bill for medical marijuana has been introduced into the legislature," said Viets. "The bill as filed this year calls for the state to provide marijuana from seizures to certain patients.

"It has been proven that marijuana can relieve distress of great numbers of very ill patients," said Viets. "These include people who suffer specific ailments, including glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis and hyperparathyroidism."

Viets said he felt the bill had a good chance for passage this year.

Viets is also hopeful for reform of the forfeiture law, which allows authorities to confiscate property of those suspected of drug violation.

"They take your car even without convictions," said Viets.