Title:
Mont. voters uphold medical marijuana restrictions; Bullock victory provides hope
Message:
Yesterday was an historic day for marijuana policy reformers across the United States, but unfortunately, Montana voters upheld the legislature’s decision to gut the state’s medical marijuana law by passing IR-124.
Among other provisions, IR-124 includes onerous restrictions for pain patients, and it sends patients to the criminal market by banning providers from receiving compensation or serving more than three patients. It also strips Montana’s medical marijuana law of its provision that recognizes out-of-state cards.
The law that IR-124 affirmed has already resulted in thousands of patients losing access to medical marijuana, which is a tragedy for patients and their families.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Montana’s next governor will be Democratic Attorney General Steve Bullock, who supports medical marijuana and opposed IR-124. Bullock narrowly defeated Republican Congressman Rick Hill, who opposes medical marijuana and supported IR-124.
Although voters did not choose to restore Montana’s original medical marijuana law, legislators and medical marijuana advocates will have an opportunity to start fresh with the legislature in 2013 and work out some reasonable reforms. MPP and its allies will continue fighting in 2013 to protect patients and make sure they have safe, legal access to medical marijuana.
