Pubdate: Mon, 12 Apr 2010
Source: Great Falls Tribune (MT)
Copyright: 2010 Great Falls Tribune
Contact: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2502
Author: Richard Ecke
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/Dispensaries

CAREGIVERS: MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROPOSAL 'DO-ABLE'

A time-limited moratorium restricting medical marijuana  businesses 
in Great Falls is winding down, and a public  hearing before the 
city's combined Planning and Zoning  Commission is expected to draw a 
crowd at 3 p.m.  Tuesday in the Civic Center.

Two medical marijuana caregivers in the Great Falls  area say they 
think a proposal by the city's planning  staff for a city ordinance 
could work, with some minor  changes.

"I think it's do-able," caregiver Julie Knight said. "I  think we 
could live with it."

"For the most part, I think this is a fine piece of  work," caregiver 
Pam Birchard said.

Some area residents favor a total ban on medical  marijuana 
businesses in the city, despite a 2004 public  vote legalizing use of 
marijuana for sick people in  pain, or delaying a decision through a 
moratorium.

One Great Falls businessman, Ben Forsyth, said the  state of Montana 
is doing a poor job of oversight, and  many people are obtaining 
medical marijuana cards  without justification. He said the city 
should extend  the moratorium for up to a year "until the state 
cleans up its act and cleans up the laws and controls it  better."

"That would give us time for the Legislature to meet,"  Forsyth said. 
"The law is so poorly written it's not  protecting the people."

The proposed Great Falls ordinance would allow medical  marijuana 
shops in industrial areas or commercial areas  where businesses 
typically are allowed, such as  downtown or along commercial strips.

Two other options offered by the Planning and Community  Development 
Department are banning marijuana businesses  from the city entirely 
- -- as Helena has done, based  upon federal law -- or extending the 
moratorium through  February to allow more time for research.

"Definitely I have a problem with extending it for a  year," Knight said.

Birchard, who lives outside the city limits, said she  does not 
believe an outright ban would be "in keeping  with the will of the people."

She said she and her husband provide fewer than 10  patients with 
medical marijuana and do not grow plants  at their home. Many 
caregivers are in this category,  she said.

"We are not the back-door drug dealers that they are  concerned 
about," Birchard said.

She also took issue with the city's broad definition of  usable 
marijuana under the ordinance, saying stems and  seeds are not usable.

"I disagree with that, especially the stems," she said.  She also 
suggested that the city increase the number of  plants a caregiver 
may keep from seven to 12.

Birchard said she may be affected very little by the  city ordinance 
because she lives outside Great Falls.  But she said acceptance of a 
zoning ordinance by the  city would help indicate that caregivers are 
legitimate  business people.

Birchard said she has one patient who is a business  owner who was 
able to continue working because of  medical marijuana, while two 
others are disabled war  veterans, one of whom is terribly ill.

"This is very valuable medicine that has been  overlooked for years," 
Birchard said.

Knight said her clients are modest and very discreet,  and that she 
would want an office location out of the  limelight. She argued that 
marijuana is "far less  damaging" than many prescription drugs.

She added that she would challenge anyone to show her a  verified 
case of someone overdosing on marijuana.

"If they can show me an instance, I'd love to see it,"  Knight said.

Forsyth said he would prefer the city proceed with  caution, 
contending the Great Falls addiction treatment  community is seeing 
growing numbers of people seeking  help for marijuana addiction.

However, he did acknowledge that "There are people out  there that 
really need this stuff," citing the case of  a man with bone-marrow 
cancer whose pain is eased by  marijuana.

Some residents have suggested that the city's role is  only to deal 
with zoning matters, and poor state  oversight is a problem state 
government must address.

But Forsyth said state law requires local governments  to consider 
residents' health, safety, convenience and  welfare in making zoning decisions.

"It shouldn't be zoned for it until it's controlled,"  Forsyth said.

Knight said some people are overreacting to the  introduction of 
medical marijuana to Great Falls.

"I think that they're working out of fear," Knight  said. "I think 
they're scared."

A final decision on medical marijuana businesses within  the city 
limits may come at the regular June 1 City  Commission meeting in the 
Civic Center.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom