Medical Marijuana: Long Way to Go
By
KFBB News Team
Story Created:
Aug 23, 2010 at 5:19 PM MST
Story Updated:
Aug 24, 2010 at 4:09 PM MST
A Legislative subcommittee met today at the capitol, taking one step closer to reaching a final product on a medical marijuana bill draft. But the bill still has a long way to go after the Legislature gets their hands on it.
"The thing we need to remember is, whatever comes out of this committee it not going to be the end, it is only going to be the beginning of the end," says Vice Chair Rick Laible.
Yet the controversy surrounding medical marijuana and the technicalities of recent draft legislation are nowhere near an end. The Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee says that they've come up with a middle ground that gives the public what they voted for.
“…and that’s what this bill intends to do, make sure that those individuals that the voters thought should get access to medical marijuana have the best chance of getting it by the most competent medical procedure and they can actually access medical marijuana. At the same time, to make sure the illegal marijuana world is as far away from medical marijuana as we can possibly make it,” says Chair Diane Sands.
Under draft legislation “caregivers” are now referred to as “providers,” local governments have jurisdiction when it comes to zoning, building codes and business licenses, but not the authorization to prohibit and physicians cannot be financially involved. However, limiting growers to six plants and only allowing 5 patients to the newly coined providers - struck a nerve within the medical marijuana community.
Patient and provider, Brad Comer says “I’ve got two patient centers that I operate, above board, 100%, never had a plant over the limit or anything and it’s been a hell of a ride. A lot of work and a lot of expense at mine and my family’s best.”
“My business relies on having a certain number of clients and so do multiple other small caregivers, and Montana has always supported small business people and that’s what we are. Limiting it to five clients would be absolutely detrimental,” says Charlton Campbell of Montana Buds.
But Sands says livelihoods are not the committee's concern.
“That is not our concern, this came to a health and safety committee it did not come to a business and industry committee. The initiative was not passed as an economic development proposal, it’s passed as a health care bill,” says Sands.
Additional provisions to the law include:
Medical marijuana patients must be Treasure State residents. A new system of dispensaries and growers would be implemented. This would be licensed by the state and individuals would have to undergo fingerprinting and a background check. Those with a convicted felony would not be able to have a medical marijuana card. Also, patients need to have a recommendation from 2 physicians (no longer a specialist as previous suggested,) when needing medical marijuana for "chronic pain."
The committee will meet tomorrow where final motions to move the bill forward to the legislature will be made.
“This has to pass the Legislature, in many ways that’s the first and biggest hurdle and there will be many changes as that process goes through. People still have plenty of chance to have an impact on what this bill looks like in the end with whatever happens,” adds Sands.
News Channel 5 will have complete coverage of that meeting tomorrow with the committee's final decisions.
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spalin said on Friday, Sep 3 at 2:43 PM
absolutely right over 30... Those who are not qualified to speak on this topic should stay out of other people's business, with regards to healthcare or anything else.
Bozeman Pot Smoker over 30 said on Saturday, Aug 28 at 6:51 AM
We voted for this. WE. The actual Marijuana smokers. Its only the non-smokers who have voted against in the past now claiming to be one of the voters who originally passed the law. If you have some preconceived notion about marijuana that really is unfounded, please, leave the marijuana decisions to those who need it. If you want to help, stay out of it...the best thing you can do.
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