Montana

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Medical marijuana advocates are making what is being called a final try this legislative session to fix the 2011 law that imposed such tight restrictions on what was then a booming industry that it has been called a defacto legislative repeal of the 2000 law approved by 62 percent of voters.

Senator Dave Wanzenreid (D-Missoula), who has consistently been a friend to medical marijuana patients in the Big Sky state, recently introduced Senate Bill 377 on behalf of a group called Montana Association for Rights, reports Charles S. Johnson at The Missoulian.

A hearing date hasn't yet been set for the bill, which has been assigned to the Senate Business and Labor Committee. Wanzenreid hopes to get the bill switched to the Judiciary Committee.

Political analysts believe SB 377 may have a tough time getting any traction; it would expand the 2011 medical marijuana law in some ways.

The 2013 Legislature, controlled by Republicans, has so far opposed changing the current strict law, killing, so far, six other bills that sought to soften it. The 2011 law was intended by the Legislature to make it harder for people to get medical marijuana cards, and to profit from the industry.

As a young man enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, Chris Williams swore an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States." Now is the time to show him your support!

By Michael Bachara, Hemp News Correspondent

By Marnee Banks, KXLH Helena

HELENA- Helena Mayor Jim Smith has spoken out on the subject of marijuana saying on Thursday that the drug should be legalized.

Smith sat on a panel on Thursday evening after screening a new medical marijuana documentary called "Code of the West" and was joined by filmmaker Rebecca Cohen and several politicians.

Smith surprised the audience by pulling out a bumper sticker that read "Legalize/Regulate/Tax" and announcing that he supports legalizing the plant; his statement drew applause from the audience.

"The federal government needs to do something and I think what it needs to do is legalize, regulate, and tax the substance. Treat it just like we treat alcohol and tobacco. Take all reasonable steps and precautions to keep it away from kids and youth. But treat it as an adult substance, which is what it is and how it's being used by millions of people in the country," Smith told Montana's News Station.

He added the issue of marijuana is dividing Montanans and it shouldn't, saying he believes there is very little that states and cities can do to address the issue.

About a year ago the City of Helena looked at zoning for medical marijuana businesses; Smith says that commissioners decided it wasn't their place to step in, and he hopes that will continue to be the case.


Source: http://www.kaj18.com/news/helena-mayor-legalize-regulate-and-tax-marijuana/

By Lauren Maschmedt, NBC Montana

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Montana medical marijuana supporters are campaigning for a new petition drive.

This one would legalize marijuana across the board.

The petition aims to put Constitutional Initiative 110 (CI-110) on the ballot in the 2012 elections.

CI-110 calls for an amendment to the 'adult rights' article in the Montana Constitution.

As it stands, the article states adults have the right to purchase, consume or possess alcohol.

Supporters want the article expanded to include marijuana.

It classifies adults as over 18, but of course under federal law, no one can possess alcohol under 21.

Trained petitioner Rick Whatman said the over 21 law would apply to marijuana, rather than allowing it over 18.

"I think with all the support that we have on this initiative, that we should do very well with it" Whatman said.

Whatman was a trained petitioner and supporter for Initiative Referendum 124, which was backed by grassroots organization Patients for Reform, Not Repeal and put Senate Bill 423 on the November ballot.

At the end of the 2011 session, state lawmakers passed SB 423, which placed strict new regulations on medical marijuana.

Seeing the success at gathering enough signatures for IR-124, Whatman said he has no doubt they'll be able to do it again.

And the process will be streamlined the second time around, he said.

By Stephanie Barish, NBC Montana

HELENA, Mont. -- Republicans and Democrats aren't seeing eye to eye on the Medical marijuana law. Speaker of the House, Mike Milburn, wants the law to go up in smoke.

"It's pretty much opening the door to legalize marijuana is what this has done," Milburn told NBC Montana. "So, we have many issues on that on driving while using it, working and going to school."

Milburn is sponsoring a bill that would repeal the controversial law. He says it's allowing the drug to become too easily accessible.

"Voters did vote for the initiative but it wasn't for what happened...and that's where I'm going to listen to what they're saying and what they're telling me is that the consequences of what's happening is way outweighing any benefits," said Milburn.

But representative Diane Sands begs to differ.

"The fact of the matter is the majority of the people want it fixed they don't want it repealed," she said.

She says the law has helped people and should just be adjusted to eliminate "gray" areas.

"A system for the issuing of licenses and a regulatory process for all the growers, the producers and the sellers. That has to happen," said Sands.

Logan Head, manager of Zoo Mountain, a place that sells medical marijuana, agrees.

By Tristan Scott of the Missoulian

Jim Swansiger took a road trip to Missoula on Monday. When he returned home to Great Falls, the 60-year-old retired construction worker was a legitimate medical marijuana patient.

“My paperwork’s all in order,” Swansiger said. “I’m just going to stop by the Capitol on my way home and drop it off.”

He’ll have to wait a few weeks before the state Department of Health and Human Services sends him an identification card in the mail, but he’s covered under the Montana medical marijuana law until then. That means he can legally grow six marijuana plants and possess up to an ounce of pot, which he intends to start using for pain relief in lieu of a prescription drug called oxycodone.

Swansiger suffers from peripheral neuropathy, a disorder he says causes pain and numbness in his legs and feet – “It’s like someone is jamming pins in the tops of my feet,” he says – and his preferred course of treatment is marijuana.

And so he drove to Missoula, where a nonprofit organization called The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation was offering an all-day clinic to help patients obtain their permits.

With medical records in hand, Swansiger and dozens of other patients sat in a conference room at the Grant Creek Inn. They paid a consultation fee, which is adjusted based on income, and waited to meet with Dr. Eric Eisenbud, an ophthalmologist from Boulder, Colo.

By Tom Daubert

Medical marijuana is a serious subject. It's frustrating to see it cast in a frivolous light or to hear the law misrepresented.

Unfortunately, a recent event in Great Falls, sponsored by the so-called "Montana Caregivers Network," made these mistakes, poorly serving the law and thus the welfare of thousands of sincere patients.

I helped write our medical marijuana law; I directed the campaign for it; and as founder of Patients & Families United, I have been involved in most every legal issue that has arisen, and have testified as an expert on the law in court and at the Legislature numerous times.

I have gotten to know hundreds of patients across Montana, many of whom have become close friends.

From what I see, medical marijuana is hugely improving the quality of life for countless patients who suffer widely varying and severe medical conditions.

In some cases cannabis literally makes the difference between life and death.

More people in our communities than we realize suffer from illnesses that lead to things like wasting disease, for example, who can rapidly lose 20 or more pounds per week until they die. But marijuana makes it possible for them to eat enough to survive, improve, and begin living again.

Or consider the experience of a young woman whose epilepsy caused a dozen or more severe seizures every day for years. Can you imagine trying to "live" a life like that?

By Matthew Brown, Associated Press

Montana this month issued its first license for an industrial hemp-growing operation to a woman who said she wants to develop a domestic market for the plant despite federal law barring its cultivation.

Laura Murphy, of Bozeman, was the first to apply for the two-year license since the state Legislature approved hemp's commercial cultivation in 2001.

Federal law prohibits such activity, but the license issued by the Montana Agriculture Department on Oct. 14 could challenge whether the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is willing to override the state.

Hemp is similar to illegal marijuana but without the mind-altering ingredient of the drug. It is grown in parts of Canada and Europe and has a range of uses, from fibers for clothing to a source of biofuels.

Murphy called the application process "pretty easy."

"I went in and had a criminal history check and fingerprints and said I had land to grow it on," she said. "They didn't have an official license for me; it's just a letter."

She said she intends to lease 160 acres of unused ranch land near Ennis and is trying to arrange contracts with buyers.

Murphy, 42, said she is a former dog groomer who works as the office manager for a Bozeman medical marijuana business. She said there would be a separation between that business, which is run by her fiance, and the planned hemp growing operation.

By Matthew Brown, Associated Press

BILLINGS – The state this month issued its first license for an industrial hemp-growing operation to a woman who said she wants to develop a domestic market for the plant despite federal law barring its cultivation.

Laura Murphy, of Bozeman, was the first to apply for the two-year licence since the state Legislature approved its commercial cultivation in 2001.

Federal law prohibits such activity, but the license issued by the Montana Agriculture Department on Oct. 14 could challenge whether the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is willing to override the state.

Hemp is similar to illegal marijuana but without the mind-altering ingredient of the drug. It is grown in parts of Canada and Europe and has a range of uses, from fibers for clothing to a source of biofuels.

Murphy called the application process "pretty easy."

"I went in and had a criminal history check and fingerprints and said I had land to grow it on," she said. "They didn't have an official license for me; it's just a letter."

She said she intends to lease 160 acres of unused ranch land near Ennis and is trying to arrange contracts with buyers.

Montana applied to the DEA in 2002 for recognition of the state's hemp growing law. The request was denied, but Montana Agriculture Department attorney Cort Jensen said it could be reconsidered now that a license has gone out.

Our Views

Will U.S. farmers one day be able to grow industrial hemp?

North Dakota and Montana are two of nine states that have approved legislation allowing industrial hemp farming or its research. Minnesota is among 28 states that have introduced legislation at some point to allow farmers to grow hemp.

In Minnesota, researchers are looking at developing a totally THC-free hemp plant. University of Minnesota researchers have identified the genes that produce THC, the psycho-active substance in marijuana, a distant cousin of hemp.

Even though industrial hemp cannot get anyone high, these researchers are studying the genes to help produce a more acceptable hemp plant for producers to grow. It could also lead to new and better drugs for pain, nausea and other conditions.

North Dakota was the first state to ever pass industrial hemp farming legislation, the first state to regulate industrial farming, the first state to issue licenses, and the first state to approve growing industrial hemp varieties at its land grant university for eventual use by state farmers.

Farmers in the Upper Plains are in a unique position to grow industrial hemp as it is a cooler season type crop and it has been grown successfully right across the northern border in Canada.

Part one of a three part series

By Jayme Fraser, Montana Kaimin

Jeff Swensen did not tie down his legs late Tuesday night before climbing in bed to watch his favorite television shows. A car accident when he was 16 paralyzed him from the nipples down, which makes his legs “flop uncontrollably.” He used to worry about falling asleep in front of the screen without properly restraining them. For the past several years, however, the 27-year-old Helena man hasn’t worried as much because a regimen of smoking medical marijuana, or cannabis, prevents the spasms, reduces chronic pain in his arms and helps him sleep.

“I started out using recreationally, but then I noticed it cut back on my muscle spasms,” Swensen said. He smoked pot illegally in Minnesota, a state that makes no exceptions to harsh criminal punishments for medical use. There, Swensen self-medicated when he could, but it was difficult to maintain a steady supply of marijuana.

When his wife Jana wanted to move back to her home state of Montana three years ago, Swensen agreed. He began looking for a doctor who would recommend him for the state’s medical marijuana program so he could medicate regularly and receive full relief of his symptoms without worrying about criminal prosecution.

Sen. Ron Erikson's Senate Bill 326 would broaden Montana's medical marijuana laws.

By Courtney Lowery, New West

The Montana Senate voted 28-22 to approve a bill that would expand the state’s medical marijuana law to include it as a treatment for more ailments and to increase the amount patients and caregivers can possess.

Senate Bill 326, sponsored by Sen. Ron Erickson, D-Missoula, would add the following diseases to the “Debilitating medical conditions” for which medical maijuana is allowed in the state: diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, nail-patella syndrome and dysmenorrhea. It would also increase the legal possession limits per patient or caregiver to no more than six mature, flowering marijuana plants, eight immature plants, and 3 ounces of usable marijuana each.

The bill passed second reading on Saturday between then and today, picked up three more supporters.

It will now await transmittal to the House of Representatives.

Source: http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/montana_senate_passes_medical_marij...

By MIKE DENNISON of the Missoulian State Bureau

HELENA - A bill increasing the amount of medical marijuana that can be possessed by patients won a surprise endorsement from a Senate committee late Friday, sending it to the full Senate for further action.

Senate Bill 326 also expands the types of diseases that can be treated legally with marijuana in Montana and has other changes that supporters said make it easier for approved patients to get the amount of drugs they need.

“I'm overjoyed,” patient and caregiver Eric Billings of Lewistown said after the vote by the Senate Public Health Committee. “I can't thank the committee enough.”

“We really want to work with law enforcement to make this program workable,” he said. “The committee got it today. They really understood.”

The panel voted 5-2 to endorse SB326, but not before amending it to allow patients to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana rather than the 12 ounces in the original bill.

Current state law says patients and caregivers, who are people licensed to supply drugs to a registered medical marijuana patient, can possess only 1 ounce of marijuana at a time.

Supporters of the bill said the single ounce is far from adequate, forcing patients to repeatedly make new attempts to acquire what they need.

Two Republicans and three Democrats on the panel voted for the bill, including Sen. Dave Lewis, R-Helena.

By Chad Harder, Missoula Independent

The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation (THCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping patients legally gain access to medical marijuana, recently announced “medical marijuana clinics” in Missoula on Nov. 18 and Billings the day prior. While currently scheduled as one-day events, THC plans to open “more permanent clinics in established locations” in the future, according to an organization press release.

Existing THC clinics have assisted more than 40,000 patients in securing a “permit to legally possess, use and grow medical marijuana” in Nevada, Washington, California, Oregon, Hawaii and Colorado. Repeated inquiries from Montanans at a facility in Spokane inspired the Montana expansion.

“The clinics are a cure for patients who have a qualifying condition under Montana law and can prove it with their medical records, but whose doctors won’t sign a [medical marijuana] recommendation,” says Tom Daubert, director of Helena-based Patients and Families United, a public education and support group for pain patients.

Federal law prohibits doctors from “prescribing” marijuana, so physicians write “recommendations,” which serve as a professional judgment that marijuana would benefit a patient’s condition. Four years ago Montana voters moved to change state law to allow patients suffering from an array of “debilitating medical conditions” to legally medicate with marijuana.

By CHELSI MOY of the Missoulian

This little seed can be roasted, toasted, fried, frozen, poured, stored and baked.

When it comes to hemp - and the seeds it produces - the possibilities are endless. And that's no hallucination.

This week, local Missoula business owners tested the limits of hemp seeds in various culinary delights, from hemp milk lattes, to pizza and breakfast muffins. Highlighting the high-nutrition ingredient at local eateries is all part of Hemp Food Week, an event building up to this weekend's 13th annual Hempfest at Caras Park.

The fundraiser by the Montana Hemp Council aims to increase awareness of the versatility of hemp, which is harvested for paper, fiber, food and fuel.

Although hemp and marijuana come from the same type of plant, they are different varieties. Hemp contains less than 1 percent of the ingredient that makes pot users “high.” Still, neither is legal to grow in the United States.

“(Hemp) has 25,000 uses,” said Andrea Behunin of the Montana Hemp Council. “It's not marijuana. You're not going to get

high from it. It is good for you.”

Hemp seeds remind Bob Marshall, owner of Biga Pizza in downtown Missoula, of sesame seeds. Or more specifically, tahini, which is made from sesame seeds and used to make hummus.