Tobacco 21 in Columbia, MO ★ 019

***This episode of Bowl After Bowl was originally published December 20, 2014. The title and notes have been republished as originally written***

Tobacco 21

On Monday, Columbia City Council passed Tobacco 21 (http://tobacco21.org/)with a landslide six-to-one vote on all three related ordinances. Thank you Laura Nauser for standing up for our personal freedoms and being the only council member to vote "no" on Tobacco 21! Unfortunately Laura's colleagues do not share her respect for the personal freedoms and rights of adults in Columbia, MO.
Three changes occurred as a result of the Tobacco 21 vote:
• the age to purchase tobacco and paraphernalia for tobacco use (including papers and pipes) increased from 18 to 21 within city limits
• the age to purchase e-cigs increased from 18 to 21 within city limits
• e-cigs were added to the city's ban on public smoking (http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Documents/article-ix-smoking.pdf), which especially targets indoor use

How can we repeal these bad laws?

NOW is the time to work together and create change. Spencer wrote three petitions to counteract the ordinances passed as a result of Tobacco 21:

• Petition 022311 would change the tobacco purchase age from 21 back to 18 within city limits

• Petition 022312 would remove e-cigs from the indoor ban

• Petition 022313 would change the e-cig purchase age from 21 back to 18 within Columbia city limits

We need more than 3,209 signatures turned in by January 5. All signatures are to be collected and self-verified by January 4.

Petitions are currently available to be signed at Aqueous Vapor (https://aqueousvapor.com/), Midwest Vapor Lounge (https://www.facebook.com/MidwestVaporLounge) and Aardvarx (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aardvarx/133479993369361?ref=ts&fref=ts). If you need to sign the petition please head to any of those locations during regular business hours! Don't forget to tell your friends to sign as well. We don't have much time, and we need all the support we can get on this campaign!

Gary Nolan (http://garynolan.com/) supports the petition and is keeping his listeners informed about its progress. The repeal effort has also received coverage in the Columbia Missourian (http://www.columbiamissourian.com/a/182946/petitioners-fight-to-repeal-new-tobacco-ordinances/), the Columbia Tribune (http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/local/petitioners-seek-to-overturn-tobacco-e-cig-regulations/article_454bbe19-7c5b-5dbc-b9e8-47df0ac00dc3.html), KOMU (http://www.komu.com/news/columbia-citizens-seek-to-repeal-tobacco-e-cig-ordinances-64070/) and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/local-news/PR121814114519787).
Nebraska, Oklahoma sue Colorado for cannabis legalization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9BTx3ajiGk

Because cannabis remains illegal under federal law, the attorneys general of Nebraska and Oklahoma have filed a lawsuit to repeal its legalization in Colorado. Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said he is tired of wasting law enforcement resources on patrolling his state's border.
Spencer and Laurien offer a solution: legalize it.