Montana Legislators Are Set To Overturn Its Mmj Law.

[greenbuddha]

House Panel Endorses Repeal of Marijuana LawPosted by CN Staff on February 04, 2011 at 19:01:59 PT

By Charles S. Johnson, Gazette State Bureau

Source: Billings Gazette

 

Helena, MT -- The House Human Services Committee voted 10-5 Friday to repeal Montana's 2004 voter-passed bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana. All of the committee's 10 Republicans voted for House Bill 161, by House Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade. All five Democrats opposed it.

 

The bill now heads to the House floor for debate Tuesday, barring any last-minute scheduling changes. "I am pleased to see the Human Services Committee supports this incredibly important bill, and I look forward to it passing the full House of Representatives next week," Milburn said.

 

The sharply divided committee debated the bill for less than a half-hour before voting.

 

"This is an initiative that has gone horribly wrong," said Rep. Cary Smith, R-Billings. "This is not what the people voted for."

 

Smith said he was appointed to serve on an ad hoc committee by the Billings City Council to deal with the consequences of the explosive growth of medical marijuana in recent years. The city has faced problems with medical marijuana storefronts located in front of schools and churches, he said.

 

"We need to turn this thing off and start over," Smith said.

 

As of December 2010, more than 27,000 people in Montana have been authorized to use medical marijuana, an increase of 20,000 cardholders from December 2009.

 

Rep. Pat Noonan, D-Butte, opposed the bill.

 

"I have a rule that I don't vote against anything that's voted on by the voters," he said. "If we really want to repeal, I think the voters should do it."

 

In 2004, Montana voters passed the initiative by 62 percent to 38 percent.

 

Rep. Michael More, R-Gallatin Gateway, acknowledged that he had voted for the measure, thinking it would be just to help people with debilitating diseases.

 

"There was an element of wishful naiveté on the part of those who voted this in," More said.

 

But the state has instead had to deal with far-reaching consequences of the initiative, including what More called "an element of licentiousness in the culture" under the law.

 

Rep. Ellie Hill, D-Missoula, criticized the repeal bill, saying that opponents of HB161 outnumbered its supporters by 3-to-1 at the hearing earlier this week.

 

"There was a lot of talk that this has increased crime rates," she said. "I didn't hear anyone with evidence."

 

Milburn doesn't accept the fact that marijuana works as medicine, she said, despite legislators hearing from people, including some in wheelchairs, testifying that it has helped treat their health problems.

 

The Missoula lawmaker said she has heard from thousands of people who support medical marijuana but want the Legislature to enact some sideboards to the bill.

 

She urged lawmakers to instead consider the bipartisan measure approved by a legislative interim committee, House Bill 68, by Rep. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, which would add regulations.

 

"They don't think the current law is what people voted for," she said. "They voted for safe access to medical marijuana. They want us to put some training wheels on."

 

Tom Daubert, an author and campaign manager for the 2004 initiative, criticized the committee action.

 

"For legislators who rejected proposals to improve the law in '07 and '09 to now rush to repeal rather than to fix a compassionate policy passed by the people in record numbers is a tragedy for patients and an insult to the Montana values of freedom and democracy," said Daubert, who heads a group called Patients & Families United. "Consensus solutions to the law's problems exist.

 

But redefining thousands of suffering Montanans as criminals is not a solution, nor is it morally justifiable."

 

Besides Sands' HB68, there is another major medical marijuana bill, Senate Bill 154, by Sen. Dave Lewis, R-Helena, that would also set up state licensing and regulation of the medical marijuana businesses. Sands' bill would impose licensing fees to pay for the regulation, while Lewis' measure would levy a tax.

 

Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT)

Author: Charles S. Johnson, Gazette State Bureau

Published: February 4, 2011

Copyright: 2011 The Billings Gazette

Contact: speakup@billingsgazette.com

Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/

URL: http://drugsense.org/url/LcjYuLUa

 

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[+Silverblue]

Uh oh. I hope they can defeat that repeal.

 

Sb

[Retta]

It looks like law makers and dispensaries are trying to overturn the peoples will in Montana. They're coming for our law next. Listen to the similar rhetoric. Thanks, Bb

 

 

 

 

Ditto but not taking as long to do it here.

[+Silverblue]

BB I was thinking something looked familiar there.

 

Sb

[Kingdiamond]

Rep. Pat Noonan, D-Butte, opposed the bill.

 

"I have a rule that I don't vote against anything that's voted on by the voters," he said. "If we really want to repeal, I think the voters should do it."

 

(If only everyone thought as rationally as this man)

[Croppled1]

They just don't get it . Were tired of this war fought for the sake of it by parties on both sides that profit from it . We the patients want to concentrate on healing and comfort . Many of us cannot bear to think about going back to how things were before we had access to this relief . This medicinal herb that can help us tolerate suffering and other medications often in reduced amounts allowing for efficacy without as severe dehabilitaing side affects or death . I am not even able to access regular medical care now here - then we have to worry about this . How will haulting the program in Montana help patients . Why must they continue to suffer and be harmed by our Goverment Officials . Don't they realize this will result in misery and death from arrests and suffering . How easy it is to injure others as long as its over something you have no need for or at least believe that for now .

[MORE COWBELL]

so they just going to round everyone up who was legal?

[+EdwardGlen]

I think the Montana legislature has been into the dental floss!

 

“There was an element of wishful naiveté on the part of those who voted this in”

 

Sound familiar?! Republicans are denying that states citizenry their constitutional rights to vote to repeal or not to repeal.

 

“For legislators who rejected proposals to improve the law in ‘07 and ‘09 to now rush to repeal rather than to fix a compassionate policy passed by the people in record numbers is a tragedy for patients and an insult to the Montana values of freedom and democracy,”

 

http://www.cannabisnews.org/united-states-cannabis-news/house-panel-endorses-repeal-of-marijuana-law/

 

The House Human Services Committee voted 10-5 Friday to repeal Montana’s 2004 voter-passed bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana. All of the committee’s 10 Republicans voted for House Bill 161, by House Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade. All five Democrats opposed it.

 

The bill now heads to the House floor for debate Tuesday, barring any last-minute scheduling changes. “I am pleased to see the Human Services Committee supports this incredibly important bill, and I look forward to it passing the full House of Representatives next week,” Milburn said.

 

The sharply divided committee debated the bill for less than a half-hour before voting.

 

“This is an initiative that has gone horribly wrong,” said Rep. Cary Smith, R-Billings. “This is not what the people voted for.”

 

Smith said he was appointed to serve on an ad hoc committee by the Billings City Council to deal with the consequences of the explosive growth of medical marijuana in recent years. The city has faced problems with medical marijuana storefronts located in front of schools and churches, he said.

 

“We need to turn this thing off and start over,” Smith said.

 

As of December 2010, more than 27,000 people in Montana have been authorized to use medical marijuana, an increase of 20,000 cardholders from December 2009.

 

Rep. Pat Noonan, D-Butte, opposed the bill.

“I have a rule that I don’t vote against anything that’s voted on by the voters,” he said. “If we really want to repeal, I think the voters should do it.”

In 2004, Montana voters passed the initiative by 62 percent to 38 percent.

 

Rep. Michael More, R-Gallatin Gateway, acknowledged that he had voted for the measure, thinking it would be just to help people with debilitating diseases.

 

“There was an element of wishful naiveté on the part of those who voted this in,” More said.

 

But the state has instead had to deal with far-reaching consequences of the initiative, including what More called “an element of licentiousness in the culture” under the law.

 

Rep. Ellie Hill, D-Missoula, criticized the repeal bill, saying that opponents of HB161 outnumbered its supporters by 3-to-1 at the hearing earlier this week.

 

“There was a lot of talk that this has increased crime rates,” she said. “I didn’t hear anyone with evidence.”

 

Milburn doesn’t accept the fact that marijuana works as medicine, she said, despite legislators hearing from people, including some in wheelchairs, testifying that it has helped treat their health problems.

 

The Missoula lawmaker said she has heard from thousands of people who support medical marijuana but want the Legislature to enact some sideboards to the bill.

 

She urged lawmakers to instead consider the bipartisan measure approved by a legislative interim committee, House Bill 68, by Rep. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, which would add regulations.

 

“They don’t think the current law is what people voted for,” she said. “They voted for safe access to medical marijuana. They want us to put some training wheels on.”

 

Tom Daubert, an author and campaign manager for the 2004 initiative, criticized the committee action.

 

“For legislators who rejected proposals to improve the law in ‘07 and ‘09 to now rush to repeal rather than to fix a compassionate policy passed by the people in record numbers is a tragedy for patients and an insult to the Montana values of freedom and democracy,” said Daubert, who heads a group called Patients & Families United. “Consensus solutions to the law’s problems exist.

 

But redefining thousands of suffering Montanans as criminals is not a solution, nor is it morally justifiable.”

 

Besides Sands’ HB68, there is another major medical marijuana bill, Senate Bill 154, by Sen. Dave Lewis, R-Helena, that would also set up state licensing and regulation of the medical marijuana businesses. Sands’ bill would impose licensing fees to pay for the regulation, while Lewis’ measure would levy a tax.

 

 

 

W.L.A.E.

 

 

 

 

[David1946]

Very typical of the bullying the GOP/Tea Party! They preach Constitutional rights and freedoms but do their level best to keep those freedoms and rights away from the people.

[greenbuddha]

I don't know how the State legislation process is set up in Montana, but let's hope it will take 75% of both Houses (Senate & Representatives) to change their laws as it does ours.

 

But from the sound of it, the change process in Montana may be a lot easier to carry out.

 

IMO, as it's been said before, our problem here in Michigan will be 'changes' in 'other' laws that will alter and restrict our MMM Act.