GreenMtnCare
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Friday, 3/20 — Attend the Hearing on SB 326!
We hope you can join us this coming Friday afternoon, for a hearing of critical importance to our efforts to improve Montana's medical marijuana law.
The Senate passed SB 326 — our ambitious program-improvement bill — with only a few amendments. Now, it is vital that members of the House Human Services Committee understand how this legislation will greatly contribute to the future security and well-being of the state's medical marijuana patients.
The House hearing on SB 326 will begin promptly at 3 pm in room 152 of the capitol building.
Earlier in the day, Patients & Families United will host an organizing luncheon at Jorgenson's for those who plan to testify or to attend the hearing. Our reservation at Jorgenson's begins at 11:30 am, with soup, salad and sandwiches to be served at Noon.
Please RVSP in response to this email if you plan to join us for the lunch!
Wheelchair access to the Jorgenson's banquet room is easiest from the parking lot on the West side of the facility. You can find a map and directions to Jorgenson's — it's on the NW corner of 11th Avenue and North Lamborn
Very soon after the hearing, we will ask you to take time to send emails to and leave phone messages for members of the House committee — and to ask all your friends to help in this way as well. We need a majority-vote of support in this committee to succeed.
In the meantime, however, if you or any of your friends lives in an area local to any of these committee members — or if you have a personal relationship with any of these legislators (particularly with any Republicans) — please begin calling and emailing this week:
House Human Services Committee
Arlene Becker, chairperson (D-Billings)
Mary Caffero, vice-chair (D-Helena)
Pat Ingraham, vice-chair (R-Thompson Falls)
Bill Beck (R-Whitefish)
Julie French (D-Scobey)
Tim Furey (D-Milltown)
David Howard (R-Park City)
Chuck Hunter (D-Helena)
Dave McAlpin (D-Missoula)
Michael More (R-Gallatin Gateway)
Pat Noonan (D-Ramsay)
Ken Peterson (R-Billings)
Diane Sands (D-Missoula)
Cary Smith (R-Billings)
Ron Stoker (R-Darby)
Jeff Wellborn (R-Dillon)
We need at least one Republican on this committee to vote in support of SB 326 — Republicans are clearly our "weak link." Despite their frequently stated "values" in support of freedom and individual choice, Republicans seem frozen in old-fashioned thinking that regards marijuana solely as an "illegal drug."
Key themes to emphasize:
* Medical marijuana is invaluable to patients — and Montana voters overwhelmingly want patients with physician recommendations to have access to the medicine they need. SB 326 is designed to make it much easier for patients to be assured of success.
* SB 326 will make it easier for patients and their caregivers to grow steady supplies of medical marijuana. It also will allow patients (and caregivers) to turn for help from other caregivers when their own gardens aren't ready yet.
* The current law is far too restrictive. For patients who need to ingest (rather than vaporize or smoke) their medicine, it is virtually impossible to function legally under the current law. Even with the improvements of SB 326, patients and their caregivers combined would only be allowed to possess at any time the equivalent of 3-weeks of medicine under the regime the federal government uses for its medical marijuana program (the feds distribute 8 ounces per month to patients; SB 326 allows a total of 6 ounces for patient/caregiver combined).
* SB 326 embraces the spirit of the decision Montana voters made — which, in turn, was summarized by President George W. Bush in his 2007 State of the Union address: [FONT='Arial','sans-serif']"In all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are made not by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors."[/font]
The phone number for leaving messages for legislators is: 406-444-4800.
The fax number for reaching House members is: 406-444-4825
You can email legislators here (use back-spacing to make it easy to send the same message to multiple legislators quickly): Montana Legislature: Sessions
You can read the current version of SB 326 here: https://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billpdf/SB0326.pdf
Update on HB 541, Decrim. for Small-Quantity MJ Possession
We expect the House Judiciary Committee will take action late this week on HB 541, which would make possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana (and incidental paraphernalia) a civil infraction punishable by a fine. (Currently, possession of up to 60 grams is a misdemeanor criminal offense punishable by up to six months in jail in addition to a fine.)
Patients and caregivers can be very helpful in lobbying in favor of HB 541 — but it is best that you not mention your connection to medical marijuana in your calls/messages to legislators.
As with the medical bill Patients & Families United is promoting, it is Republican members of the committee who are most reluctant to support decriminalization. Go figure: They claim to support freedom; many claim they are "libertarian" in philosophy; all claim to insist that taxpayer dollars not be wasted (and it is crystal clear that our current policy is having no productive effect on marijuana use — and that states that have decriminalized small-quantity possession have achieved better results at lower cost).
Key themes to emphasize:
* Support HB 541 — stop wasting tax dollars on marijuana enforcement that doesn't work!
* Support HB 541 — redirect tax dollar spending on violent crime and property crime, to produce better results!
* Support HB 541 — it will greatly reduce the severe negative effects of our current policy, which gives criminal records to thousands of Montanans every year... thus in all likelihood reducing future tax revenues because most of these people lose student loans and have a harder time finding good-paying jobs.
* Support HB 541 — it will help preserve gun-ownership rights for thousands of Montanans every year. The federal government grossly overreaches in banning gun ownership — for life — for people who simply make a very common mistake when they are young.
* Support HB 541 — our current policy has failed, and it is time to give a new approach a fair try.
Judiciary Committee Members to Contact
Rep. Ron Stoker, chairman (R-Darby)
Rep. Gerald Bennett (R-Libby)
Rep. Michael More (R-Gallatin Gateway)
Rep. Ken Peterson (R-Billings)
Rep. Bob Wagner (R-Harrison)
Rep. Wendy Warburton (R-Havre)
The phone number for leaving messages for legislators is: 406-444-4800.
The fax number for reaching House members is: 406-444-4825
You can email legislators here (use back-spacing to make it easy to send the same message to multiple legislators quickly): Montana Legislature: Sessions
You can read HB 541 here: https://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billpdf/HB0541.pdf
We hope you can join us this coming Friday afternoon, for a hearing of critical importance to our efforts to improve Montana's medical marijuana law.
The Senate passed SB 326 — our ambitious program-improvement bill — with only a few amendments. Now, it is vital that members of the House Human Services Committee understand how this legislation will greatly contribute to the future security and well-being of the state's medical marijuana patients.
The House hearing on SB 326 will begin promptly at 3 pm in room 152 of the capitol building.
Earlier in the day, Patients & Families United will host an organizing luncheon at Jorgenson's for those who plan to testify or to attend the hearing. Our reservation at Jorgenson's begins at 11:30 am, with soup, salad and sandwiches to be served at Noon.
Please RVSP in response to this email if you plan to join us for the lunch!
Wheelchair access to the Jorgenson's banquet room is easiest from the parking lot on the West side of the facility. You can find a map and directions to Jorgenson's — it's on the NW corner of 11th Avenue and North Lamborn
Very soon after the hearing, we will ask you to take time to send emails to and leave phone messages for members of the House committee — and to ask all your friends to help in this way as well. We need a majority-vote of support in this committee to succeed.
In the meantime, however, if you or any of your friends lives in an area local to any of these committee members — or if you have a personal relationship with any of these legislators (particularly with any Republicans) — please begin calling and emailing this week:
House Human Services Committee
Arlene Becker, chairperson (D-Billings)
Mary Caffero, vice-chair (D-Helena)
Pat Ingraham, vice-chair (R-Thompson Falls)
Bill Beck (R-Whitefish)
Julie French (D-Scobey)
Tim Furey (D-Milltown)
David Howard (R-Park City)
Chuck Hunter (D-Helena)
Dave McAlpin (D-Missoula)
Michael More (R-Gallatin Gateway)
Pat Noonan (D-Ramsay)
Ken Peterson (R-Billings)
Diane Sands (D-Missoula)
Cary Smith (R-Billings)
Ron Stoker (R-Darby)
Jeff Wellborn (R-Dillon)
We need at least one Republican on this committee to vote in support of SB 326 — Republicans are clearly our "weak link." Despite their frequently stated "values" in support of freedom and individual choice, Republicans seem frozen in old-fashioned thinking that regards marijuana solely as an "illegal drug."
Key themes to emphasize:
* Medical marijuana is invaluable to patients — and Montana voters overwhelmingly want patients with physician recommendations to have access to the medicine they need. SB 326 is designed to make it much easier for patients to be assured of success.
* SB 326 will make it easier for patients and their caregivers to grow steady supplies of medical marijuana. It also will allow patients (and caregivers) to turn for help from other caregivers when their own gardens aren't ready yet.
* The current law is far too restrictive. For patients who need to ingest (rather than vaporize or smoke) their medicine, it is virtually impossible to function legally under the current law. Even with the improvements of SB 326, patients and their caregivers combined would only be allowed to possess at any time the equivalent of 3-weeks of medicine under the regime the federal government uses for its medical marijuana program (the feds distribute 8 ounces per month to patients; SB 326 allows a total of 6 ounces for patient/caregiver combined).
* SB 326 embraces the spirit of the decision Montana voters made — which, in turn, was summarized by President George W. Bush in his 2007 State of the Union address: [FONT='Arial','sans-serif']"In all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are made not by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors."[/font]
The phone number for leaving messages for legislators is: 406-444-4800.
The fax number for reaching House members is: 406-444-4825
You can email legislators here (use back-spacing to make it easy to send the same message to multiple legislators quickly): Montana Legislature: Sessions
You can read the current version of SB 326 here: https://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billpdf/SB0326.pdf
Update on HB 541, Decrim. for Small-Quantity MJ Possession
We expect the House Judiciary Committee will take action late this week on HB 541, which would make possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana (and incidental paraphernalia) a civil infraction punishable by a fine. (Currently, possession of up to 60 grams is a misdemeanor criminal offense punishable by up to six months in jail in addition to a fine.)
Patients and caregivers can be very helpful in lobbying in favor of HB 541 — but it is best that you not mention your connection to medical marijuana in your calls/messages to legislators.
As with the medical bill Patients & Families United is promoting, it is Republican members of the committee who are most reluctant to support decriminalization. Go figure: They claim to support freedom; many claim they are "libertarian" in philosophy; all claim to insist that taxpayer dollars not be wasted (and it is crystal clear that our current policy is having no productive effect on marijuana use — and that states that have decriminalized small-quantity possession have achieved better results at lower cost).
Key themes to emphasize:
* Support HB 541 — stop wasting tax dollars on marijuana enforcement that doesn't work!
* Support HB 541 — redirect tax dollar spending on violent crime and property crime, to produce better results!
* Support HB 541 — it will greatly reduce the severe negative effects of our current policy, which gives criminal records to thousands of Montanans every year... thus in all likelihood reducing future tax revenues because most of these people lose student loans and have a harder time finding good-paying jobs.
* Support HB 541 — it will help preserve gun-ownership rights for thousands of Montanans every year. The federal government grossly overreaches in banning gun ownership — for life — for people who simply make a very common mistake when they are young.
* Support HB 541 — our current policy has failed, and it is time to give a new approach a fair try.
Judiciary Committee Members to Contact
Rep. Ron Stoker, chairman (R-Darby)
Rep. Gerald Bennett (R-Libby)
Rep. Michael More (R-Gallatin Gateway)
Rep. Ken Peterson (R-Billings)
Rep. Bob Wagner (R-Harrison)
Rep. Wendy Warburton (R-Havre)
The phone number for leaving messages for legislators is: 406-444-4800.
The fax number for reaching House members is: 406-444-4825
You can email legislators here (use back-spacing to make it easy to send the same message to multiple legislators quickly): Montana Legislature: Sessions
You can read HB 541 here: https://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billpdf/HB0541.pdf
