Panel to Review Proposed Changes to Medical Marijuana Act
A legislative committee will meet next week in Helena to review proposed legislation designed to clear up gray areas in the Montana Medical Marijuana Act.
The Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee will take up the medical marijuana issue at the outset of its meeting Monday, Aug. 23, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 137 of the State Capitol. The meeting will continue Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m. as the committee addresses other issues related to health and human services.
The public is welcome to attend. A complete agenda and other meeting materials are available on the legislative Web site at www.leg.mt.gov/cfhhs.
The committee will review medical marijuana proposals approved by a subcommittee that has held three meetings since late June to review issues of concern to law enforcement, local government, regulatory agencies, and the medical marijuana industry.
At a meeting last week, the subcommittee approved the idea of creating state licensing requirements for individuals and businesses that grow, manufacture, sell, and transport medical marijuana. Members also approved giving the state Department of Revenue authority to inspect and regulate the industry. The changes would allow for creation of medical marijuana dispensaries.
Other proposed changes would:
place a cap of 2 ounces on the amount of marijuana that may be dispensed to a person each month;
require people to be Montana residents in order to use medical marijuana under the state law;
spell out the standard of care that physicians are expected to meet in certifying that a patient qualifies for medical marijuana use;
prohibit financial relationships between physicians and the businesses or individuals who provide medical marijuana;
prohibit the use of medical marijuana in public; and
repeal a legal defense currently available to people who possess marijuana without a registry card or in amounts greater than allowed by law.
The committee will accept public comment on draft legislation before taking final action on any proposals.
At its final meeting before the 2011 session, the committee also will:
decide whether to introduce a bill revising the commitment laws for people with developmental disabilities to more clearly state their rights in the commitment process;
review a proposal to allow dental hygienists to provide sealant programs in schools; and
hear a proposal from State Auditor Monica Lindeen to create a state health insurance exchange as authorized by the new federal health care act. The federal law requires states to establish or join insurance exchanges by 2014.
The meeting will be broadcast over the legislative Web site at www.leg.mt.gov. It also will air on the state public access television network TVMT. For a list of TVMT channels, visit www.leg.mt.gov/tvmt .
The Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Committee is chaired by Rep. Diane Sands, D-Missoula. Other members are Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Helena; Rep. Gary MacLaren, R-Victor; Rep. Penny Morgan, R-Billings; Sen. Roy Brown, R-Billings; Sen. Christine Kaufmann, D-Helena; Sen. Rick Laible, R-Darby; and Sen. Trudi Schmidt, D-Great Falls.
For more information, contact Sue O’Connell, committee staff, at 406-444-3597 or soconnell@mt.gov.
