Wednesday, January 12, 1994 - The Wichita Eagle - Hemp activists shutting down shop - Moore to lobby for legalization of marijuana - by Suzanne Perez Toblas -

***Picture ***Caption: “The way I see it, anything that is given to people by God - government should be allowed to tax it but not to outlaw it.” Debby Moore

Imagine a place where you can grow all the marijuana you want, where local “cannabis houses” sell joints like liquor stores sell wine, and where smoking pot is an accepted form of recreation.

Now, imagine that lace is Kansas.

Debby Moore does. And this week, the 46-year-old seamstress- known more for her pot-smoking than her fashion designs - is closing up shop in Wichita in order to work full-time persuading state lawmakers to legalize marijuana.

“I kind of decided that the most effective approach would be all out concentration on what we all want: a change in the laws,” said Moore, who calls herself the Hemp Lady.

So Moore is closing her Kansas Environmentalists for Commerce in Hemp store at 27420 E. Second and selling off what’s left of the clothing, jewelry, shelves and other furniture. She will keep her lease on the other half o the duplex, where she lives, and will still run a tailoring business and distribute pro-marijuana literature. In addition, she will travel back and forth to Topeka to work as a lobbyist.

She has met with several legislators and other leaders already, and she is planning a pro-marijuana rally in Topeka on Jan 29. With the support of “millions of pot-smokers everywhere,” Mooe says she will fight to legalize marijuana, establish “cannabis houses” where marijuana would be sold and taxed, and free anyone who is not jailed on marijuana charges.

“The way I see it, anything that is given to people by God - government should be allowed to tax it but not to outlaw it,” she said.

Moore also supports the concept of initiative and referendum, which would allow residents to propose and pass laws. “We know that we can put together enough signatures, and we know we could get the votes,” she said.

Moore whose motto is “Load a bowl and rock ‘n’ roll,” has long been an outspoken advocate for the legalization of marijuana. More than a year ago, Wichita Police raided her house, seized about 14 pounds of marijuana in plastic bags and charged her with intending to sell it.

She won the first round of her legal battle when sedwick County District Judge Paul Clark ruled that evidence in the case was not admissible because of problems with the search warrant. Had Moore gone to trial, she planned to put on an unusual defense: that because she bought marijuana tax stamps required by law, she was exempted from laws prohibiting its sale.

The case still put M<oore and her political cause in the spotlight, and it persuaded her to work harder to legalize marijuana.

“I’m not saying that I’m famous now, or that I’m infamous,” she said. “But I can say that, with the aid of my attorney, I stood up for my rights for the benefit of all. I showed some of the heinous things that law enforcement will do. And unless we make a big enough stink, it’s going to continue.”

Moore, who recently received her resl-estate license, plans to sell real estate in Wichita after the legislative session. But she will keep the duplex on East Second as an “information center” for fellow marijuana advocates.

“We still need a meeting spot,” she said. “We need that place where people can come to say, “Oh, Debby you wouldn’t believe what they did this time.”