Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jun 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

PANEL TO TAKE ANOTHER SWING AT MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Against a backdrop of dueling citizen initiatives, a  lawsuit,
frustrated patients and flustered law  enforcement officials, a
legislative committee is  planning once again to take up the issue of
what should  be done to untangle the mess created by Montana's
voter-approved medical marijuana law.

The law legalizing medicinal use of the plant was  passed by a wide
margin by voters back in 2004.

With the federal government's decision last year to  stop taking legal
steps against medicinal pot users and  the state's creation of a
registry of certified  patient-users, the number of people on that
registry  has burgeoned to the neighborhood of 17,000.

In addition, the law allows for "caregivers" to provide  marijuana to
patients on the registry.

As the medicinal use and the businesses supporting it  grew, local
governments -- including in northcentral  Montana -- grappled with
whether and how to regulate  it.

The Children, Families, Health and Human Services  Interim Committee
began the process of dealing with the  issue in April, and it plans to
continue its  exploration of the subject Monday in Helena (see box at
right).

Since the panel's last meeting, the Great Falls City  Commission voted
to ban any land use for the purposes  of medical marijuana, an action
that takes effect next  Thursday.

That action is the target of two responses:

* A group called Great Falls Informed Voters plans to  circulate a
petition to repeal the commission's action  and allow marijuana
growers and dispensaries in the  city. If they succeed at getting
5,335 valid signatures  from within city limits, a measure to repeal
the ban  could be placed on the Nov. 2 general election ballot,  in
Great Falls only.

* A group of medical marijuana patients Tuesday filed  suit in Cascade
County District court to have a court  overturn the city ban.

At the other end of the spectrum, organizers of a  petition drive
seeking a statewide ban on medical  marijuana said last week that they
believed they had  collected enough signatures to qualify for the
ballot  in November.

Whether they collected enough valid signatures won't be  known until
sometime in July.

Against that backdrop, the interim committee will take  up the issue
at its meeting starting Monday morning.

The panel's tentative agenda calls for a staff overview  of
recommendations from stakeholders in the issue;  presentations from
different perspectives; a brief  public comment period; followed by
discussion and a  work session.

It's good to see the Legislature taking hold of the  issue -- better
late than never. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D