The medical marijuana restrictions that are to become law tomorrow and go into effect July 1 were designed to be crystal-clear. Or so their sponsors thought. As the Associated Press tells it, that’s not how things are shaping up:
State health officials said Friday that they still plan to issue medical marijuana cards even though the state’s restrictive overhaul bill repeals its authority to do so, a move that lawmakers say would be against the law.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer has said that he would not act on the bill despite his reservations about some of its provisions, which means the measure would become law and go into effect Saturday. It would immediately repeal the Department of Public Health and Human Services’ authority to register patients under the original marijuana law.
Department spokesman Jon Ebelt said the law was unclear about its authority over marijuana registration cards that have already been submitted using applications under the old, less restrictive rules. He said his agency planned to issue cards from those forms until June 20, after which a new form must be used for the new overhaul regulations.
Schweitzer called the attempt at reform “one of the worst-crafted bills in this Legislature.”
Gwen Florio