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USA Today affiliate Gregory J. Holman reports from Springfield News-Leader:
"Jeramy Mello thought he was acting in line with Missouri marijuana law in the early hours of Oct. 4. Local authorities did not agree.
After a traffic stop inside Buffalo city limits, the 43-year-old Walnut Grove man was cited for criminal marijuana possession, despite, Mello says, being approved by state authorities to use and possess cannabis for medical treatment, and despite showing officers a digital version of his medical marijuana ID card during the traffic stop.
Marijuana card problems are cropping up repeatedly around the Show-Me State as officials work to implement the medical marijuana law voters approved last year.
And the issue could affect more than 23,900 Missouri patients approved for medical marijuana ID cards since they became available five months ago.
While Missouri continues to implement medical marijuana — licenses for dispensaries are expected to be announced in late January — there appears to be little effort on the state level to share updated training about Missouri marijuana law with local law enforcement agencies.
By law, Missourians approved for a medical marijuana patient card can legally carry marijuana on their person or in their car.
Those without a card can't carry marijuana, period. But it's not clear that Missouri law enforcement agencies know how to tell the difference.
Case records vanish as story readied for publication
Since Nov. 21, the News-Leader had been contacting state and local authorities about Mello's marijuana possession case and what it means in terms of state cannabis policy.
The newspaper was ready to publish the story Wednesday when news came that the marijuana possession charge filed against Mello on Nov. 8 appeared to have been dropped.
Mello's case — No. 19DA-CR00628 — disappeared from Missouri Case.net, the state's public online court record system. The newspaper checked Case.net remotely and from inside the Greene County Justice Center. (Courthouse computer terminals offer access to more types of online court documents than are available remotely.)
Typically, when a case disappears from Case.net, it means charges have been dropped or the case has been dismissed.
Dallas County Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Barker told the News-Leader Thursday that on Dec. 6 he sent Mello a letter dismissing the charges. He said the mail went out to the most recent address he had on file for Mello.
Mello, reached Thursday morning, said he had not received direct communication from prosecutors regarding the dismissal.
Barker declined to comment on any specific dismissed case. Speaking generally, he said decisions to dismiss cases come from his office, which is independent in performing its duties."
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