MO pot legalization activists fined for petitioning

What are we looking at, here: Typical blundering from half-competent St. Charles, Missouri law enforcement, or a deliberate tactic to discourage marijuana legalization advocates from rallying support? From Daily RFT:

Show-Me Cannabis Regulation activists plan to canvass the intersection of Main and Monroe streets tonight at 9:30 p.m. as a peaceful protest against two of its volunteers being cited by St. Charles police for "soliciting without a permit" shortly after midnight this past Saturday.

​According to John Payne, Show-Me Cannabis Regulation's Saint Louis Regional Director, the two volunteers were soliciting nothing -- they were actually asking people to sign their petition for the legalization and subsequent government regulation of cannabis in Missouri. "The right to petition our government is the most fundamental right we possess as Americans and is part of the foundation of republican government. These citations will not deter us from exercising that right," Payne stated in the group's press release.

[…]

At the moment, the Missouri Civil Liberties Association (MOCLA) is considering pursuing a civil suit against the City of St. Charles "for violating the right of citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances" on behalf of the two volunteers.

It seems clear that the activists were well within their rights to gather names for their petition, which brings me back to questioning the motive for their citing. Were the cops ignorant of the law or mistaken about the petitioners’ activities, or else was this an intentional strike against the pro-legalization lobby?

(via The Agitator)

Tags: Show-Me Cannabis Reform • marijuana legalization • pot legalization • marijuana • pot • petitions • Missouri Civil Liberties Association • MOCLA • St. Charles, MO • John Payne