Here’s the Associated Press version. Watch Missoulian.com for an expanded story:
HELENA – The House Monday gave final approval to the repeal of Montana’s medical marijuana law and sent it to the Senate.
On a final House vote, House Bill 161, by Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade passed 62-37.
It now moves to the Senate where prospects for repeal may be less certain.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to work on a committee bill aimed at putting into place a licensing and regulatory system for the medical marijuana industry, paid for by new licensing fees.
Montana voters, by 62 percent to 28 percent, passed an initiative in 2004 to legalize medical marijuana.
However, Milburn and other critics have said the industry has grown out of control over the past year, with 28,300 people here now holding green cards allowing them to obtain medical pot.
I like many others, were duped in voting for legalizing marijuana for cancer and glaucoma patients. The proponents have certainly abused the intended outcome, and have been responsible for the death of this law. When piles of signed prescriptions are found with no exams having been performed, and people who I know to be healthy are using for recreation, rather than health purposes, I call foul. The users are also duped, as they are being charged outrageous prices, for a weed that is easier to grow than a tomato. Another consequence is, the holders of the cards will never be able to legally own a firearm in this country.
It’s time to discard the current law, and work on a reasonable, and controlled use, incorporating price caps, and distribution through pharmacies only, to eliminate some of the illegal sales.
Pretty sad day when the courts can repeal a law that they have done absolutely no study or research on. In fact the Senator that is behind this is stating a letter from a high school student that sees her friends wanting a green card when they get out of school. When they should be regulating the law better and making sure people that have no pain cannot get the cards. It all falls on their failure to stop the town idiot, “Jason Christ” from doing his caravan sign ups. Without his signups there would only be 10,000 people with the cards or less. Now the Senators will make it impossible for my wife to deal with her Crohns disease and now back to the Oxicodone and Lortab side effects. Maybe we can get a voter passed initiative to make sure Senators, can never overturn a voter passed initiative without a study. Next thing you know they will overturn the voter passed initiative for using cyanide in gold mining.