Forest Park weighs in on weed

By Precious Kenney The Scene staff

Marijuana has been part of college life for decades, but not all Forest Park students are happy that weed and edibles are now legal in Missouri.

General studies student Clara Abad, 20, thinks it’s a bad idea.

“I personally don’t smoke or do anything with marijuana,” she said. “I think it’ll be easier for kids to gain access to it now that there are fewer restrictions.”

Abad was one of a handful of Forest Park students and faculty interviewed recently by The Scene on the pot issue.

Missourians voted Nov. 8, 2022, to approve a state constitutional amendment that legalized marijuana for recreational use. The new law went into effect Feb. 3.

Dental hygiene student Natalie Confer, 22, supported the initiative, mainly because of the way cannabis can help people with chronic pain and other medical problems.

“There are many good uses, but we should put more time and money into teaching the communities that use it,” she said. “We must also be an advocate for awareness in individuals that have barriers to medication.”

Biology professor Kristine Mothershead fell somewhere in the middle of the debate. She wasn’t against legalization, but she wasn’t for amending the constitution.

“It didn’t need to be elevated to that,” she said.

Missouri is among states that allow residents to gather signatures and place constitutional amendments on ballots when they want to sidestep legislatures.

Mothershead believes it’s very important to protect this process.

“My fear (related to the marijuana vote) was that this was going to be the straw that was going to break the camel’s back for our initiative process,” she said.

“And now that is goal No. 1 in this next session. It’ll become more cumbersome, and it’ll be harder to get things on the ballot.”

Mothershead was referring to current efforts by Republican state legislators to place more restrictions on the process.

Some 73% of Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, which legalized marijuana for recreational use. Before, it was only allowed for medicinal use.

Today, anyone 21 and older can purchase cannabis products, both weed and a variety of edibles, at one of nearly 200 dispensaries that have popped up throughout the state.

The closest one to the Forest Park campus is Good Day Farm Dispensary on the corner of Forest Park Avenue and Euclid Avenue, across from BJC Healthcare’s Center for Advanced Medicine.

“We believe in plants over pills and using the magic of Mother Nature to help people feel their best,” according to its website. “Our mission is to give everyone that perfect ‘day at the farm’ feeling and access to good medical cannabis.”

The dispensary offers a 15% discount for college students, military personnel and those 65 and older.

The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association reported that dispensaries in the state sold nearly $5 million worth of products on the first day of legalization and $13 million on opening weekend.

The state levies a 6% sales tax on recreational marijuana, and local municipalities can impose additional taxes. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported tax revenue of more than $510,000 on opening weekend.

“Them legalizing marijuana was a good thing to do,” said Forest Park student Glenn Williams, 21, a health services major.

“In my honest opinion, I think that it’s about time that we’ve legalized it. We have been in a battle for so long. It’s not a bad drug or anything to be on. It helps people with cancer. It helps relieve stress. It helps people get sleep. It helps people with anxiety. It just helps all around the board.”

Williams doesn’t believe weed is addictive, and he knows people who just smoke a little to help them relax after a long day at school or work.

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