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Dazed and Confused: Lawyers Sound off on Medical Marijuana

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Sep 17, 2010 at 6:54 PM MDT

Story Updated: Sep 17, 2010 at 6:54 PM MDT

Medical marijuana laws are not only confusing to the citizens of the Treasure State but believe it or not, lawyers as well.

Over 150 lawyers and legal representatives gathered in Great Falls today to sound off on what they describe to be "murky" and "confusing" statutes around medical marijuana. Today lawyers sounded off on their concerns when advising clients.

The 36th annual State Bar of Montana's Meeting brought together those voicing their concerns on hot topics in our state.

The title of today's presentation was “Dazed and Confused,” and not only is it a title but it also highlights how lawyers feel about the issue.

Lawyers discussed their main concerns with the laws including issues with law enforcement, employee - employer relations and residential versus commercial laws between landlords and tenants.

Shane Vannatta, a Private Attorney from Missoula says “as an attorney we're struggling to guide our clients through this maze of potential pit falls and places that frankly can go horribly wrong and subject them to criminal penalties, can subject them to broken contracts and frankly create an issue that they can't recover from.”

Business owners and criminal lawyers identified numerous problems with these laws citing that the conflicts between state and Federal Law create a grey area when advising clients.

Many of the lawyers said the reason for those grey areas is due to a lack of resources, and clarity surrounding the law won't likely be reached until the 2011 Session.

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MontanaBoy said on Saturday, Sep 18 at 3:14 PM

"We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption." - John Adams, U.S. President

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