I have to admit, I admire Kelly Maddy.

I admire the grassroots political organizer’s commitment to the marijuana decriminalization cause and the work he has done in Joplin in support of the Sensible Sentencing Initiative.

The initiative seeks to decriminalize the possession of 35 grams of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it within the city limits of Joplin.

Now, before you flood the Globe’s comments section calling me on the carpet for being pro-pothead ... that’s not what I mean. I admire Maddy’s ability to wade into a crowd of people unfriendly to his cause, explain the petition’s aims and, maybe change their minds about his war on the war on drugs.

Mad Dog Maddy?

I had an opportunity to watch Maddy in action last Sunday afternoon while he solicited signatures for the initiative petition outside of a Joplin grocery store.

From where I stood, it looked like about half of the people he asked to sign his petition listened politely and then either inked their name or walked away with a grin of disbelief. The other half, however, were much more vocal in their opposition.

When stories concerning Maddy’s pot petition appear in the Globe, they usually illicit a wide range of opinion in our comments section online. This week was an exception. After reading the petition update stories online, a few opponents of the idea hammered out their thoughts in our comments section.

“Mad Dog Maddy ... Are you telling these people how much pot 35 grams actually is? I would estimate that is enough to make roughly 75 to 100 good-sized joints or fill a pot pipe several hundred times. It is enough to get a lot of people wasted out of their minds. I think if you get caught with 35 grams of pot you should go to prison for a long time. It’s not like you just got caught with a joint or two. That is a lot of pot.”

— exactly

“Exactly, 75 to 100 good size joints or several 100 pipe bowls? Where do you get your weed? It’s plain to see you don’t know what your talking about! lol”

— Toj

“I suppose next they’ll want to decriminalize DUI.”

— plato

“If you legalize pot, the next thing you know the dopers will want us to legalize meth and crack. Don’t open this door!”

— anonymous

“Only dopers would want dope legalized. Roll all the dopers in a pile and smoke them.”

— PotisNotCool

‘A multi-faceted issue’

Tuesday’s update on the petition’s progress was the most-read story online that day and generated more comments than any other story during the week at joplinglobe.com.

“I simply CANNOT imagine J-Town with a law limiting charges for minimal marijuana possession. Truly, it is a multi-faceted issue. I think it makes no sense to lock up someone for possession only. Unfortunately, most ‘minimal possession’ charges arise from investigations into other charges — DWI, burglary, etc. For simple possession there is no ‘gain’ to society and there are too many people engaging in illicit marijuana smoking to lock up, anyway.”

— John in Albuquerque

“The idea to decriminalize marijuana is aimed at saving tax dollars and keeping space in jails for ‘hard’ criminals, not to avoid responsibilities. Maddy isn’t avoiding responsibility, he’s made this HIS responsibility to Joplin. If you don’t want to see it go through, sign the petition so you can vote NO in November.”

— tynk

“Way to go, Kelly! It’s about time for the local police and sheriff’s departments to spend their resources and manpower investigating and prosecuting REAL crimes.”

— Guy

“I will put my two cents in. I am about as anti-drug as they get, with my nearly 12 years of sobriety, and horror stories to boot. This makes sense. Some of us do not support the drugs, but support the freedom of choice when no harm comes to others. Use your brains and not your emotions.”

— Kraz_Eric

Safer than alcohol?

For many of the regulars in the Globe’s comments section, the idea that marijuana is a gateway drug to the use of harder substances is a non-starter. Most of those leaving comments on this issue said they believe that meth, prescription drugs, alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous and ultimately a bigger problem than pot will ever be — decriminalized or not.

“Not everyone who supports the decriminalization of pot approves of meth and other drugs. I am SURE it will have the same restrictions as alcohol, and before you jump on the potheads-will-give-their-kids-weed bandwagon, let me say this: I know of a few anti-marijuana zealots out there who think it is perfectly OK to give their kids alcohol — AMERICA’S NO.1 KILLER OF TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS.”

— LISA

“Alcohol has been legal for many decades, and is much more available. All that is trying to be done is to put it on the ballot for a vote so maybe the legal system will get some relief and can deal with a real epidemic like meth. If only people in this part of the country were not so short-sighted and simple.”

— Highly Educated

Leave ’em laughing

Given the way this issue leads to heated exchanges online, it always interests me how a few folks can break through the polarizing rhetoric and find a way to leave us laughing.

“Legalize marijuana in Joplin? Best laugh I’ve had in a long time! I live in Kansas City where we are trying to ban cigarettes. How goofy can this society be?

— DAVID WAGNER

“Let’s also put the indispensable and utterly necessary Joplin trolley service on the ballot to be kept indefinitely so the pro-weed advocates have something to ride around on and not be unsafe behind the wheel.”

— Smarty Pants

“A friend with weed, is a friend indeed.”

— The Unabonger

Dave Woods is new media editor for The Joplin Globe.