It took a few headlines around the state about how local communities were coping with the explosion in the use and sale of medical marijuana, but some Montana lawmakers are finally getting serious about regulating this burgeoning industry at the state level.
On Tuesday, a legislative committee in Helena voted to OK proposed medical marijuana regulations that will be sent to the Legislature in January.
The committee has done its work well.
Among other things, the new regulations will list the diseases eligible for medical marijuana treatment, require two doctors to sign off on marijuana prescriptions for pain relief, make driving under the influence of marijuana illegal, create stricter regulations for those who grow or sell marijuana and extend the state's indoor smoking ban to marijuana.
These are all reasonable measures that will go a long way to address the concerns of small communities, concerns about the number and locations of medical marijuana sales and production outlets. Local government officials - including many here in Gallatin County - have struggled to keep outlets away from schools and churches and to stem the rising numbers of these new businesses.
Although members of this new industry participated in the crafting of the new legislation, they have decried the proposed regulations as too draconian and say they will lobby against passage in the whole Legislature.
This will be a mistake.
Given the ease with which people were procuring the so-called "green cards" that permit them to possess and use marijuana, something had to be done. Some 23,500 people had been issued cards by the end of July, an exponential increase from the few thousand issued as of last year.
If the proliferation of the cards is to continue unabated, the total decriminalization of marijuana would be the net effect. And that's not what Montanans voted for when they legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2004.
The proposed legislation will not only restrict the over-prescription and dangerous use of medical marijuana, it will add some legitimacy to this new facet of Montana life. And that will be a good thing for everyone, including those who grow and dispense this new medical treatment.
Mountain Man posted at 1:49 pm on Fri, Sep 3, 2010.
Meaning no disrespect, petit_singe, but your argument applies equally to heroin, automatic weapons, and prostitution.
petit_singe posted at 2:46 pm on Thu, Sep 2, 2010.
The government can restrict it all they want; people will still get it and use it. But instead of benefiting the state through taxes, they will benefit drug dealers and cartels. The government can't change how many people buy it, but they can change how they do. The government can choose where they want the money to go and where they don't. But I think it's unfair that the people of Montana voted, in majority, for medical marijuana and now the government wants to keep interfering and restricting rights. Not that it matters, though, because I'm sure drug dealers would be happy to come up here and supply us with all the marijuana that the government takes away.
rfabro posted at 3:36 pm on Mon, Aug 30, 2010.
This bill is NOT "necessary"! It is laden with so many restrictions, you couldn't even list them all on a whole page of a newspaper!
There is so much wrong with this bill, it's futile to begin addressing single problems with it.
It is much more practical to make sure this bill does not pass!
Everyone who cares about MMJ MUST get organized and pressure their representatives to vote "Nay" on this bill, or it may be over for most people.
Don't know who your local reps are? Go to: votesmart.org
hmmmmm posted at 12:38 pm on Mon, Aug 30, 2010.
dangerous use of medical marijuana.???? Hmmmm