Joplin event slated to raise awareness, advocate reforms

By Max McCoy

Globe Investigative Writer

Does Kelly Maddy have a point, or is it just a case of reefer madness?

Maddy, a local advocate for reforming marijuana laws, believes pot should be decriminalized. The drug is harmless, he says, and prohibition destroys the lives of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens.

Nuts, says Joplin police Chief Kevin Lindsey.

Marijuana is a gateway drug, he said, and compared the consequences to those of a much harder substance, methamphetamine: Those who indulge aren't just harming themselves; they're hurting their families and the community.

Also, Lindsey noted, marijuana is illegal. Possession of single joint is punishable by up to a year in the county jail.

Maddy, 23, is president of the Joplin Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a nonprofit lobby. The local chapter kicks off its public awareness campaign with a concert beginning at 7 p.m. today at Fat Pat's, 532 S. Joplin Ave. The acts slated are the Ben Miller Band, Cinna the Poet and Jah Roots.

Tickets are $5, and only those 21 or older will be admitted.

Today was chosen because the date - April 20 - is a reference to 420, the counterculture code for time of day to get high.

"We'll have a table full of literature and merchandise from our chapter, as well as some fun games for people to participate in," Maddy said during a recent interview. "The main objectives will be to meet and greet the public, and to have a good time while spreading our message of legalization."

Maddy said that while the long-term goal of Joplin NORML is local decriminalization, there are no immediate plans to launch a petition drive to force a local initiative such as the kind that succeeded in the city of Columbia.

In 2004, voters there approved - by margins of about 2-to-1 - a proposal to allow the medical use of marijuana and another to set the maximum fine for possession of less than 35 grams at $250, with no jail time.

In Joplin, an initiative would require the signatures of 10 percent of registered voters to place the issue on the ballot during a regular election and 15 percent to conduct a special election, said City Clerk Barbara Hogelin.