The 21-year old son of Democratic Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was issued a citation for possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana early Saturday.
"This is a private matter that will be handled through the municipal process," the governor said in a statement. "My son is a fine young man, and we will be working through this issue as a family."
Willson Nixon allegedly tried to conceal the marijuana after police officers were dispatched to a loud party in an apartment complex. He is scheduled to appear before a court within the next 4 to 6 weeks, and faces a fine and possibly community service.
Nixon signed legislation in July that requires applicants for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to undergo a mandatory drug test. The program is meant to help needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes and prepare parents for work.
In an op-ed in the Kansas City Star, Alice Kitchen, founder of the Kansas City Task Force on Drug Affected Families, called the bill "meanspirited and an embarrassment to our citizens," pointing out that the bill mandates a treatment program but does not fund the programs.
"The only entities that stand to benefit are the drug-testing companies," she wrote.
