Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jun 2016 Source: Montana Standard (Butte, MT) Copyright: 2016 Montana Standard Contact: http://www.mtstandard.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/609 Author: Jeff Krauss Note: Jeff Krauss is a Bozeman city commissioner who served three terms as mayor, a CPA, a cancer survivor and treasurer for Montana Citizens for I-182. LET'S RESTORE MONTANA'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW Someday you or someone you love may need safe, legal access to medical marijuana. You, or they, may have cancer, epilepsy, IBS, colitis, or Crohn's disease, Parkinson's, breast cancer, a recent heart attack, or may be a veteran or emergency worker with PTSD. In 2004, 64 percent of Montana voters passed a law creating a medical marijuana program. But access for patients seeking relief will soon disappear because of political nonsense in the 2011 Legislature. With these draconian, nonsensical laws, you and your loved ones aren't going to get what you need for pain, symptom relief, or a cure. In my town, there is a courageous 33-year old mom of two who is fighting a battle with cancer. You might have seen her, bald, on TV or in a newspaper photo, asking you to sign the petition to get Initiative 182 on the ballot and vote for the measure come November. Medical marijuana makes her daily struggle with chemotherapy possible, and allows her some quality of life. I-182 will ensure patients like her have access to the medicine they need, while putting new sideboards and accountability in place. Veterans' access The issue of veterans' access to medical marijuana has garnered strong bipartisan support at the federal level with both Montana Sens. Steve Daines (Republican) and Jon Tester (Democrat) endorsing legislation that is pending before Congress to allow access to medical marijuana for veterans in the 24 states that have adopted medical marijuana laws. Medical marijuana is being used to treat veterans for PTSD and is a safer option than opioids for managing pain. It is important that we provide Montana veterans with safe, legal access to the medicine they need and I-182 will do just that. This new marijuana initiative will honor our vets with a safe, responsible approach. Montana has one of the largest populations of vets per capita, second only to Alaska. We need to align with Tester and Daines and change these laws to allow our veterans the choices they deserve. Recently that 33-year Bozeman mom said, "I know from my personal experience with others fighting cancer we need safe access to medical marijuana. My health story is not unusual, but with the potential absence of medicinal marijuana, I and other cancer patients in Montana face a choice they shouldn't have to, pain or vomiting. I'm not a bad person. I'm a sick person; it pains me to think I might be persecuted for being a sick person." Her story could be the story of tens of thousands Montanans unless we act to correct the current situation. I support and will advocate for I-182 because it addresses concerns over the previous law and ensures accountability to all Montanans by: Advertisement (1 of 1): 0:28 Requiring providers obtain licenses and receive unannounced yearly inspections. Allowing for product testing to ensure safety, consistency and accurate dosages. Providing access to veterans and other patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Removing the three-patient limit for providers. Creating licensing fees to pay for the administration of the new law. The citizens of Bozeman have trusted me with their city; three times I've been mayor. The citizens of Gallatin County have trusted me with their money; I was the elected county treasurer as a Republican. Gov. Brian Schweitzer trusted me with the university system when he appointed me to the Montana Board of Regents. You can trust me when I tell you medical cannabis works, and is desperately needed. You can trust me when I tell you we can establish controls on how and where it's sold, and how many sellers there are. We can prohibit public use. We can prohibit off-premises advertising. Signatures needed I know, because we did all that in Bozeman when I was mayor. I-182 can also limit how it is prescribed, who prescribes it, and for what it can be prescribed. Time is short. We need your signature. There is urgency to our campaign. To allow Montanans the opportunity to establish a responsible, accountable law, we need to qualify for the ballot by collecting at least 24,175 valid signatures from across the state. Right now hundreds of volunteers and staff are working hard to meet the June 17 deadline. Please sign I-182. Restore the mandate that 64 percent of Montanans established a decade ago. Let's give people a fighting chance at a better life. For more information on I-182 go to (http://www.yeson182.com)www.yeson182.com. - -- Jeff Krauss is a Bozeman city commissioner who served three terms as mayor, a CPA, a cancer survivor and treasurer for Montana Citizens for I-182. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D