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  House Panel Endorses Repeal of Marijuana Law

Posted 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 BureauPublished:  February 4, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Billings GazetteContact: speakup billingsgazette.comWebsite: http://www.billingsgazette.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/LcjYuLUaCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 

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Comment #46 posted by potpal on February 08, 2011 at 21:14:12 PT
House Panel endorses repeal of marijuana law
Time to repeal the House Panel.
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Comment #45 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 17:31:06 PT
Ekim
Thank you. It's really hard for me right now to keep my mind from racing around. Today was a hard day. The more I look at his report the more intense it seems. He wasn't scheduled to see a heart doctor for a year so this C&P was a blessing in disguise.
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Comment #44 posted by ekim on February 07, 2011 at 17:13:20 PT
i help with a restaurant duct cleaning crew
FoM i can honestly say that when we do truck stops everytime Stick and you cross my mind.best wishes to Stick
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Comment #43 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 10:41:35 PT
Hope
The nice doctor that did his C&P interview didn't have the test results at that time when we saw him that day. They had to be read by a cardiologist.
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Comment #42 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 10:39:09 PT
Sam and Afterburner
I have been pleased with how well the VA system has been working since Obama started fixing it but that end summary on his C&P really was a stress maker. The C&P was done at an outside hospital because of travel distances. Afterburner, I'm sure they did check that since the blood tests are very detailed. Thank you.
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Comment #41 posted by afterburner on February 07, 2011 at 10:05:10 PT
FoM
If you can get someone to check Stick's Magnesium level, it might help his condition.Magnesium and your health
http://www.nutrientreference.com/magnesium.html
[includes conditions helped and foods containing magnesium]
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Comment #40 posted by Sam Adams on February 07, 2011 at 10:01:59 PT
health care
FOM very sorry to hear of your husband's woes! I think if he's feeling OK he can't be having a heart attack. hopefully you can go to ER if he feels bad in the next few days.It's sad to me that our doctors & system are so bad. It really bothers me. something similar happened to my father, most doctors just don't seem to care if we live or die. And most are content to work in a system full of devastating bureaucratic and simple procedural errors, a system that doesn't even track outcomes to judge success and failure.when I go into the hospital to get treated, which is fairly often, I always have the same feeling I get when I think about the "war on drugs". It makes me feel like this country is descending back to medieval times in terms of our culture & the level of human compassion.
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Comment #39 posted by Hope on February 07, 2011 at 09:56:32 PT
"active infarction"
I'm guessing they didn't have those results when you'll were actually there, is why they let him go home at the time.On the other hand, maybe someone was supposed to keep him there, but got distracted and failed to do so.
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 09:44:55 PT
Afterburner
It's really good to see you and thank you.
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 09:43:31 PT
BGreen
That was word for word what I posted. That's why it has been hard to handle and figure out what to do next. If he gets any chest pain we are to call 911.
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Comment #36 posted by afterburner on February 07, 2011 at 09:43:08 PT
FoM
Sad to hear about Stick. Keep the faith. Our prayers are with you both.2012 is arriving early. The Internet is under attack by Corporate interests. Net neutrality is an endangered species. Egypt has already set the precedent for shutting down the Internet countrywide. AOL Agrees To Acquire The Huffington Post.
Huffington Post Aol.
AOL/The Huffington Post Posted: 02/ 7/11 12:01 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/aol-huffington-post_n_819375.htmlRead the comments. Cherish this special site, cannabisnews, while it's still active and available.God bless!
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 09:41:03 PT
BGreen
It was a long scary weekend. He has an appointment with the cardiologist later this week now. I am to take all the C&P results with us to give to the doctor. There's a good chance they will admit him right then. 
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Comment #34 posted by BGreen on February 07, 2011 at 09:17:53 PT
I see what you mean, FoM
If I am ever "apparently ... in the process of an active infarction of the left ventricle," please send me to the hospital and not home. That doesn't make any sense at all.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on February 07, 2011 at 08:38:46 PT
Thank You
I got in touch with the local VA clinic and I must contact the big hospital and fax the report to the cardiologist in Cleveland and make an appointment for Stick to see him. She said if he had been having an active heart attack during the nuclear scan they would have transported him. For now that is all I know. Thanks so much for caring.This is what scared me word for word.January 18, 2011: SUMMARY: This Vietnam era veteran has only recently been diagnosed with ischemic heart disease but certainly has ischemic heart disease and apparently was in the process of an active infarction of the left ventricle when he came for evaluation for this examination.
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Comment #32 posted by herbdoc215 on February 07, 2011 at 08:20:06 PT
runruff
Amen! I to am ready if I can be of any help FoM, 
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Comment #31 posted by runruff on February 07, 2011 at 02:54:53 PT
To whom it may concern?
Friends here at C/News did many nice thing to help me and my Wife while I was caged! Offers to help around here are real and now I am in a position to offer help and I am offering. If there is anything I can do?
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Comment #30 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on February 07, 2011 at 02:28:20 PT
Banana Repeal or Unpeel or Unmellow Yellow
Now, back to my unregularly unscheduled half witty and not so clever observations, as somewhat inspired by Carlin and Lennon (and maybe observer, as it turns out).The word repeal, of course, makes us wonder what was pealed to begin with, and, of course, peal brings to mind peel, and if a banana can be repeeled, and peeling back prohibition to reveal the tasty and nutritious fruit which is cannabis, and banana repeal makes me think of banana republic, which brings us back to the Montana legislature.So, I consulted Webster's on peal -1 a: the loud ringing of bellsb: a complete set of changes on a given number of bellsc: a set of bells tuned to the tones of the major scale for change ringing2: a loud sound or succession of sounds [peals of laughter]http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pealSo, this makes me think of people trying to unring a bell, which brings us back to the Montana Legislature, and how unappealing they are, and the peals of laughter they should hear, if this weren't so serious, and that change is ringing a wonderful tune, and it's time someone answered the call, which makes me think of the President, and if he could schedule some time to reschedule and remove cannabis from Schedule 1.And, of course, that freedom is appealing, and prohibition is unappealing.And off topic, but on prefix, re- means again, and like someone else recently said, CN is the only board I post on anymore, or more correctly re-post on, but I do sometimes read, or more correctly re-read some other boards I don't post or re-post on, because even though I don't want to get re-caught up in their re-bs, I do like to re-see what they are re-doing sometimes, relaxed that I won't regret trying to retort only to get rehashed, and there's only one good way to rehash in the cannabis world.But I've noticed it's ridiculous how often the word ridiculous is spelled rediculous, probably even more often than it's spelled ridiculous, and it always makes me wonder, or re-wonder, if something can be diculous to begin with.And, of course, ridiculous (and for some reason diculous and rediculous) brings us back to the Montana Legislature.
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Comment #29 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on February 07, 2011 at 01:02:22 PT
FoM and GCW, much love to you both!
And Hope and everyone else here who's going through major shit. I love the people of CN, because I can tell everyone here has love as their main guiding force, and when one of us hurts, I think we all hurt for them.What unites us is our love for all the people and other animals and the plants of this wonderful earth, and we all hurt to see the unnecessary pain that the war on cannabis (and all wars) causes everyone. Like museman said, life is hard enough.
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on February 06, 2011 at 16:34:29 PT
Hope
Me and skiing never did mix. LOL! Riding horses over fences was much safer to me!
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on February 06, 2011 at 16:32:50 PT
Poll on Montana's Medical Marijuana Law
Should the Legislature Repeal Montana’s Medical Marijuana Law?http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/should_the_legislature_repeal_montanas_medical_marijuana_law/21725/
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Comment #26 posted by Hope on February 06, 2011 at 16:23:12 PT
And still worse...
I thought you might be skiing on packed ice... which sounded exceptionally dangerous.... because I knew you were expecting and ice storm and not a snow storm.I thought, I don't ever remember her saying anything about skiing. She must ski really well!
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Comment #25 posted by Hope on February 06, 2011 at 16:15:29 PT
I thought, "Wow". 
I didn't know you were feeling that good!I tried to visualize it. I finally did just manage... slowish skiing on gentle hills.Lol! I thought... Oh my gosh! Stick's not skiing and cleaning the driveway!I also thought, "Four hours!"I know The GCW is an athlete. It's just somehow my eyes got crossed and I thought that post was from you.
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on February 06, 2011 at 15:42:22 PT
Hope
Bless your heart for even thinking that would be possible for me! LOL!
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Comment #23 posted by Hope on February 06, 2011 at 14:04:13 PT
Ooops!
I see it was The GCW that skied for four hours and cleaned the driveway, not FoM. Sorry.I'm so glad you are doing well under the circumstances, The GCW.Lol! I thought you were feeling mighty spry under the circumstances, FoM!
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Comment #22 posted by Hope on February 06, 2011 at 13:59:12 PT
Have fun. Work well. Think right.
"Just got back from skiing 4 hours and cleared the driveway; hardly thought about problems.":0)That sounds wonderful!I'm assuming Stick didn't ski for four hours! I'm guessing he watched skiing for four hours. Maybe this time next year, he'll be skiing, too. 
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Comment #21 posted by The GCW on February 06, 2011 at 13:34:18 PT
kaptinemo,
There's nothing anyone can do. Thanks for offering. I'm ok. It's a trip. I'm busy and it helps. Just got back from skiing 4 hours and cleared the driveway; hardly thought about problems. I'm not young but there has always been a secure feeling having a mother, that doesn't exist now. I'ts wierd. I didn't have strong feelings of security with having a mother but I notice a feeling of insecurity in losing a mother.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on February 06, 2011 at 10:19:11 PT
BGreen
Thank you so much. You have mail now.
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Comment #19 posted by BGreen on February 06, 2011 at 10:10:28 PT
FoM, I sent you an email
I'm here for you and Stick!Bud
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on February 06, 2011 at 08:26:49 PT

Museman and Kapt
Thank you. When you are in the middle of a storm you think how will you get thru it but somehow you do. Getting his test results back on Friday and having to figure out what to do until Monday has been very hard. If IHD hadn't been made a service connected disability (even though Senator Webb fought it) for boots on the ground veterans that served in Vietnam this C&P detailed test wouldn't have been done. What will bother me more then almost anything is he will be about 140 miles away in Cleveland and I will not be able to visit him other then the day of surgery. For me to drive a 26 year old car into the city is just something I would be too afraid to attempt. We have 3 dogs and heat with wood so I can't just close up the house and stay there in the middle of the winter. I wish they would have told us he was having a heart attack on January 18th in the hospital because after this length of time the damage to the heart is done. The hospital didn't have a cardiac team just the nuclear machine. From his Ejection Fraction and Mets results he will be 60% SC disabled. They also said he has diabetes which he has been tested for since 2001. He also has advanced COPD.
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Comment #17 posted by museman on February 06, 2011 at 08:03:38 PT

FoM, GCW
Prayers for you and best wishes.Life is hard enough without monsters preying on it, and running the show.Peace
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Comment #16 posted by kaptinemo on February 06, 2011 at 07:52:24 PT:

Anything we can do?
Seriously.
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Comment #15 posted by BGreen on February 06, 2011 at 06:15:11 PT

I'm so sorry for your loss, The GCW
I know you've had more than your fair share. Your CNews family stands by you in your time of grief.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on February 06, 2011 at 05:38:20 PT

The GCW
I'm so sorry. Sometimes life's problems are overwhelming but somehow we get thru it all.We all love you The GCW. God Bless.
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on February 05, 2011 at 21:35:59 PT

The GCW
I'm so sorry. That's a lot of grief. You have had a lot of mourning to do. That's so hard.I love you, Bro.
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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on February 05, 2011 at 21:13:14 PT

More Republicans.
More and more, I find that I don't care for Republican.
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Comment #11 posted by The GCW on February 05, 2011 at 21:12:04 PT

FoM,
Wow. M_____ & Stick, You know We're with You.Hope, You have been doing well lately. I hope everyone gets well.My Mom died 3 months ago. My brother died last Saturday. I hope things get better. I'm feeling sad.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on February 05, 2011 at 20:11:27 PT

Just a Note
My husband had his C&P exam for IHD on January 18th. They stopped the nuclear medicine scan. We got the report on Friday and he had a heart attack during the test that is why they stopped it. We are putting everything in order since he will need heart surgery. Hope is aware of what is going on if I am gone for some time. For now Monday morning is when we will know the next step.
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on February 05, 2011 at 16:38:43 PT

"... incredibly important bill"
Milburn's quite pleased with himself.No respect for the honor and integrity of the ordinary human. But he's quite pleased with himself.
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Comment #8 posted by Sam Adams on February 05, 2011 at 16:01:05 PT

licentiousness in the culture
great reason to sacrifice thousands of people to pain and sufferingthe "licentiousness" of Republican leaders is OK when they're having sex with other men in the bathroom, but not when it comes to the sick and weak in our society
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on February 05, 2011 at 04:47:02 PT:

Once more, elected officials show their contempt
towards the electorate...which just happen to be their paymasters. Sneer at the boss while taking his money; not very bright at all.And, notice, how it's almost always the most contemptuous of the lot have their names appended with the letter 'R'? What about all that (ostensibly) 'conservative' 'Get government out of your wallet, out of your home, off your back' rhetoric? Seems that they sing a different tune when it's a prejudice near and dear to their hearts.This is just another front on the culture war, and these guys know it. Right now, they don't care. Montanans should see to it that they do, courtesy of threats of impeachment. (After all, how many Montanans actually asked for the committee to do what it has? I'd wager damn' few did.)This is not Great Britain, where Members of Parliament are elected to exercise their personal judgment. This is a country where the elected officials ares sent to do the legislature to do the We the People's bidding. Looks like some of these folks need a gentle reminder of that...
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Comment #6 posted by runruff on February 05, 2011 at 03:44:59 PT

Public acts of obscenity!
This prev is a public political masturbater, nothing more!What changes will the public put up with by this jackass and his ass-jack-a-roos?If anything legalization is just around the corner in Montana and from I know of Montanans this little snot slinging tantrum by this corporate automaton, will not endear himself to the 80% that like their mmj laws!I know this because I am smart and he is not! At best, he is trying delay tactics so his contributors can rake in the dough selling their many prescription poisons for as long as possible before god's medicine comes to town! I say to you Montana, someone seems always to be in control? Will it be Mighty Mike, Public Political Masturbater or the people once again?Someone is always in control, around here it is Miss Dixie the magic pug!-now that's leadership!
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Comment #5 posted by josephlacerenza on February 04, 2011 at 22:12:42 PT:

There is NO WAY Repeal will Happen!!!!
A good percentage of Montana's gain their livelihood from cannabis. The legislature can not repeal the MMJ act and expect to retain a majority. 
Moblie THC Testing Lab Montana
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Comment #4 posted by ekim on February 04, 2011 at 20:22:09 PT

Freedom Watch repeting now
Dir tv ch 359 next guest up
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on February 04, 2011 at 19:28:00 PT

Freedom Watch had a guest on bio-fuels
said all hell was breaken out cause of ethanol is made of grain and its costing more for food.when will a hemp study be done =how much money can be made from the cellulose-the fiber-oil-and who know's what else it can be used for.please Willie shine a lite on this plants goodnesswe do need a hero
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 04, 2011 at 19:19:20 PT

Medical Marijuana Repeal on Path for House Passage
February 4, 2011HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A plan to repeal Montana's medical marijuana law appears headed for easy approval in the state House after Republicans who run the chamber made their support for undoing the six-year-old law clear on Friday. The plan, from House Speaker Mike Milburn, would repeal the ballot initiative overwhelmingly adopted by voters in 2004. The Cascade Republican's bill easily cleared the House Human Services Committee on a party line vote Friday. Supporters of repeal argued the industry has gone far beyond what voters envisioned. “This is an initiative that has gone horribly wrong,” said Rep. Cary Smith, R-Billings. “This is not what the people voted for.” Republicans hold a 68-32 majority in the House. Any measure that clears that chamber would have to go to the Montana Senate and then the governor's desk. Gov. Brian Schweitzer has said changes to the law are needed to deal with an unforeseen explosion in the industry, but has stopped short of calling for an outright repeal. Minority Democrats in the Legislature argued in committee that the lawmakers should move forward a plan to fix the law with more self-funded regulation and stringent requirements for registering as a patient. They said an outright appeal should be left to voters. “I have a rule that I don't vote against anything that has been passed by the voters,” said Rep. Pat Noonan, D-Butte. “If we really want repeal, I think the voters should do it.” Montana confidentiality laws prevent law enforcement from knowing the names of medical marijuana patients, their suppliers and their locations. Some towns and cities have banned medical marijuana businesses from operating within their jurisdiction because they don't know whether the shops meet city codes or if they are too close to churches, schools or parks. But the plan to repeal the measure, and even just to regulate it, has drawn overflow crowds who say lawmakers need to tread carefully in dealing with medical marijuana used by more than 30,000 Montanans. Supporters of repeal countered that the cards are so easy to get that it often has nothing to do with medicinal purposes. “It was not created to be an industry. It was created out of compassion,” said Smith. “If they want, they can come back with a bill to legalize marijuana. Because that is where we are headed now, and that is not what the people voted for.” Copyright: 2011 Associated PressURL: http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/44848/group/Montana/
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Comment #1 posted by ekim on February 04, 2011 at 19:17:26 PT

at a time of unprecendented joblessness 
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
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