Minnesota's medical marijuana bill passed a key committee in the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday. The bill was heard in the Judiciary Committee where law enforcement concerns were aired. Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, the bill's author, spelled out a series of stringent regulations that have been added to the bill this year, while law enforcement offered much of the same testimony that's been heard before.
The bill passed the committee 4 to 3. "I am increasingly confident that this will be the year that Minnesota joins the 13 other states that have acted to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest," Murphy said of the bill's passage. "This is an issue where science, compassion and simple commonsense come together."
In the hearing, Murphy offered a litany of ways the bill has been changed to appease law enforcement. Marijuana patients have a cultivation limit of 12 plants and plants must be kept in a locked facility. The definition of "intractable pain" is defined in state statute, and as Murphy points out, Minnesota would have "one of the highest thresholds of any state that has a [medical marijuana] provision on the books."
The registration card supplied by the state for medical marijuana must be renewed annually. It would prevent possession of medical marijuana on Department of Corrections property and maintains current law that prohibits possession on school property or church property.
The bill increases charges for abuse of the program. It would be a felony for giving or selling medical marijuana to a non-patient, for misuse of the registration card or to possess more marijuana than allowed under the bill. It would be a gross misdemeanor for someone to misrepresent themselves under the program.
But those changes haven't changed the minds of law enforcement officials or the Pawlenty administration. Michael Campion, commissioner of public safety, said, "This administration, since the governor has been elected, has been opposed to this legislation."
Campion said, "There is an absence of medical empirical data that indicates that this product will do what it is intended to do."
He said law enforcement is concerned about the potential for abuse in the program. "From a public safety law enforcement standpoint, there is tremendous incentive for illegal monies to be made from this legislation," he said. "There is very little regulation. It's almost impossible to enforce.
"If anybody thinks that this piece of legislation won't increase the use of marijuana in Minnesota, you are kidding yourself," said Campion.
Despite law enforcement protestations, the bill passed the committee and will head to the Senate Finance Committee. The companion bill in the House is expected to be heard in committee next Wednesday.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Minnesota Independent
Author: Andy Birkey
Contact: The Minnesota Independent
Copyright: 2009 The Minnesota Independent
Website: Medical Marijuana Passes Senate Committee Despite Law Enforcement Concerns
The bill passed the committee 4 to 3. "I am increasingly confident that this will be the year that Minnesota joins the 13 other states that have acted to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest," Murphy said of the bill's passage. "This is an issue where science, compassion and simple commonsense come together."
In the hearing, Murphy offered a litany of ways the bill has been changed to appease law enforcement. Marijuana patients have a cultivation limit of 12 plants and plants must be kept in a locked facility. The definition of "intractable pain" is defined in state statute, and as Murphy points out, Minnesota would have "one of the highest thresholds of any state that has a [medical marijuana] provision on the books."
The registration card supplied by the state for medical marijuana must be renewed annually. It would prevent possession of medical marijuana on Department of Corrections property and maintains current law that prohibits possession on school property or church property.
The bill increases charges for abuse of the program. It would be a felony for giving or selling medical marijuana to a non-patient, for misuse of the registration card or to possess more marijuana than allowed under the bill. It would be a gross misdemeanor for someone to misrepresent themselves under the program.
But those changes haven't changed the minds of law enforcement officials or the Pawlenty administration. Michael Campion, commissioner of public safety, said, "This administration, since the governor has been elected, has been opposed to this legislation."
Campion said, "There is an absence of medical empirical data that indicates that this product will do what it is intended to do."
He said law enforcement is concerned about the potential for abuse in the program. "From a public safety law enforcement standpoint, there is tremendous incentive for illegal monies to be made from this legislation," he said. "There is very little regulation. It's almost impossible to enforce.
"If anybody thinks that this piece of legislation won't increase the use of marijuana in Minnesota, you are kidding yourself," said Campion.
Despite law enforcement protestations, the bill passed the committee and will head to the Senate Finance Committee. The companion bill in the House is expected to be heard in committee next Wednesday.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Minnesota Independent
Author: Andy Birkey
Contact: The Minnesota Independent
Copyright: 2009 The Minnesota Independent
Website: Medical Marijuana Passes Senate Committee Despite Law Enforcement Concerns
