Southwest Mo. village approves medical marijuana

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A small southwest Missouri village has passed an ordinance allowing the use of medical marijuana.

Mayor Joe Blundell says Cliff Village, with a population of about four dozen people, is showing grassroots support for Missouri to legalize medical marijuana.

Cliff Village's ordinance allows someone with a doctor's approval to possess a few ounces of marijuana and grow a few plants.

Columbia passed a similar ordinance in 2004.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland, whose deputies patrol Cliff Village, tells The Kansas City Star that he will continue to follow state law that says it's illegal to possess or grow or distribute marijuana.

Blundell says his interest in medical marijuana comes from a painful past injury from a train accident that left him in a wheelchair.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com