Medical Marijuana Bill on It's Way To House Vote

[PFlynn]

Minnesota - The bill, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee easily on Wednesday, would not legalize marijuana. But it would allow patients who qualify to possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and to receive similar amounts on a regular basis from groups set up to dispense the drug.
The measure passed the Minnesota Senate last year but did not receive a vote in the House.

The effort at getting medical marijuana approved in Minnesota has been more than 10 years in the making and most recently has seen growing support among Republicans who previously might have been expected to oppose to it.

Rep. Chris DeLaForest, R-Andover, is a cosponsor of the House bill and predicted bipartisan support for its passage.

"To me, this is the ultimate conservative issue," DeLaForest said following the vote. "It's about keeping the government out of the doctor/patient relationship."

The vote in the House committee occurred without debate or questions being asked, but it can be expected to generate controversy during debate on the House floor, which is expected within the next few weeks.

The measure requires patients to register and have a card issued by the Minnesota Department of Health. Non-profits can be established to grow and distribute the medical marijuana with up to 12 plants per patient.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has sympathized with objections to the proposal from law-enforcement groups, and a spokesman reiterated on Wednesday that he would veto a bill establishing medical marijuana if it does not contain provisions that are palatable to the law-enforcement community.

"Governor Pawlenty stands with law enforcement in opposition to this bill," said spokesman Brian McClung.

The state statute would be in conflict with federal law, which makes the possession of marijuana illegal. Doctors would recommend medical marijuana to patients but would not actually prescribe it under the bill.

Twelve other states have medical-marijuana laws. Such bills are now under consideration in Illinois and New York, and an initiative is expected to appear on Michigan's November ballot.



Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2008 Star Tribune
Contact: opinion@startribune.com
Website: StarTribune.com: Breaking news, multimedia, blogs and more from Minneapolis, St. Paul and around Minnesota

[cinzanoooo]

Pawlenty is gonna rubber stamp veto any and all propositions for medical cannabis that cross his desk. His agenda in the Republican party is being a presidential candidate in the future although he claims to have no aspirations to a 'federal' position. Liar. I believe he's hoping to be called as John McCains running mate in the upcoming pres. election, I could be wrong about that but I know he's one of GW's butt buddies and won't let go in the war against citizens that the DEA (& prior agencies) have been running for 70+ yrs now.

What ashame that Pawlenty won the 2006 election by less than 1% (21,000 votes +/-) of the total votes, the Independant party took 141,000+ votes in the gubernatorial election virtually stealing it from Mike Hatch the DFL candidate.

Keeping my fingers crossed & voting DFL again in 2010.

[Boss]

I suspect the independant party of being sectretly funded by the republicans. I don't even think it's that secret anymore.

[coytheboy]

I hate Pawlenty. I live about 5 blocks from the capital. Sometimes late at night when I cannt sleep, I get into my car drive to the mcdonalds on university. Then eat and have a joint in the Capital building's parking lot. All the while wondering how Pawlenty got in to office.