[Mtnorml-list] Montana medical marijuana law improvements proposed

[Montana NORML]

Friends,

The political wheels are turning -- NOW would be a good time to mentally 
gear up for ACTION to protect the positive marijuana policy changes in 
Montana over the last couple years and prevent those changes from being 
shot down. Here's our first important topic:

Below you'll find a press release sent out today regarding proposed 
improvements to Montana's medical marijuana law. The proposed changes 
are available online here:

http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0311.htm
(summarized: increased quantities, only mature plants count, new 
'transporter' class provider, additional medical professionals allowed 
to sign recommendation paperwork)

Read up -- we'll send more info shortly.

- MT NORML


Medical Marijuana –
Initiative Groups Promote Legislative Fine Tuning


House Bill 311 Will Allow the Program to Work Better for Patients


Groups that successfully promoted Montana’s medical marijuana initiative 
in 2004 are asking the 2007 Montana Legislature to pass House Bill 311 
to “fine tune” the initiative, according to spokespersons.

Under Initiative #148, overwhelmingly passed in 2004 with 62 percent 
support, 114 doctors have recommended medical marijuana to 284 patients 
in 31 Montana counties, according to state figures.  116 registered 
caregivers provide medical marijuana to the patients.

“Now that we have two years’ experience with Initiative #148, we have 
enough knowledge to fine tune the law to make it work better for 
patients,” said Paul Befumo of Missoula, spokesman for the Medical 
Marijuana Policy Project of Montana, sponsors of the initiative.


“We need to grant nurse practitioners and physician assistants the 
ability to recommend medical marijuana,” Befumo said.  “That will make 
the process of registering easier for patients especially in rural 
communities.”


Secondly, Befumo explained, “we need to allow for the transport of 
medicine from the caregivers to the patients.  We feel House Bill 311 is 
a good step in the right direction and that it accurately reflects the 
will of a vast majority of Montana voters.”


Teresa Michalski of Clancy, spokeswoman for a patient support-group, 
Montana Medical Marijuana Patients and Families United, said House Bill 
311 allows patients to possess a maximum of eight ounces of medical 
marijuana, consistent with a six-week supply for patients participating 
in the federal government’s “Investigational New Drug” program.  She 
also said the current six-plant limit needs to apply only to mature 
plants, not immature, un-gendered plants.

“Montanans are compassionate toward those suffering with debilitating 
illnesses, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain.” she 
said.  “I think everyone wants the program to work for patients in need. 
  So far, the program is working well, but there is room for these 
improvements that will make all the difference for patients.”


Michalski said her son, Travis, who died of Hodgkin’s disease, found 
more relief from medical marijuana than from prescribed quantities of 
other drugs.  Medical marijuana can give superior relief from suffering, 
with none of the toxic side-effects or addiction risks of stronger but 
traditional drugs, she said.  The medical marijuana also helped improve 
Travis’s appetite, which no other drug had been able to do, she said.


House Bill 311 is sponsored by Rep. Ron Erickson (D-Missoula), who 
sponsored the state’s first medical marijuana bill at the 2003 session 
of the Legislature.  A hearing on the bill has not yet been scheduled.