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Montana voters by a wide margin approved a medical marijuana law Tuesday, allowing the cultivation, possession and use of the drug for medical purposes. The initiative shields patients, their doctors and caregivers from arrest and prosecution.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, the vote was 62 percent in favor to 38 percent opposed.
Passage was "just common sense," said Paul Befumo of Missoula, a leader in the campaign for the measure.
"I'm really thankful to Montana," Befumo said. "I think we did something good for ourselves, our neighbors and relatives who are sick." Befumo said his father's suffering from fatal lung cancer two years ago may have been eased had marijuana been an option.
Activists from the Marijuana Policy Project of Montana gathered more than 26,000 signatures to place I-148 on the ballot, making the state one of two to put medical marijuana-related issues before voters.
Oregon rejected a measure that would have dramatically expanded its existing medical marijuana program. Alaska, which also has an existing medical marijuana law, rejected a measure to decriminalize the drug.
Supporters of the Montana measure said marijuana is an underused remedy for pain, nausea and other symptoms associated with AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other chronic illnesses. Some have said it can be an ailing patient's last chance at relief.
Opponents called I-148 the first step toward legalizing pot completely and pointed to possible problems with abuse and enforcement.
Susan Gallagher
Associated Press Writer
https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/11/03/politics1234EST7302.DTL
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, the vote was 62 percent in favor to 38 percent opposed.
Passage was "just common sense," said Paul Befumo of Missoula, a leader in the campaign for the measure.
"I'm really thankful to Montana," Befumo said. "I think we did something good for ourselves, our neighbors and relatives who are sick." Befumo said his father's suffering from fatal lung cancer two years ago may have been eased had marijuana been an option.
Activists from the Marijuana Policy Project of Montana gathered more than 26,000 signatures to place I-148 on the ballot, making the state one of two to put medical marijuana-related issues before voters.
Oregon rejected a measure that would have dramatically expanded its existing medical marijuana program. Alaska, which also has an existing medical marijuana law, rejected a measure to decriminalize the drug.
Supporters of the Montana measure said marijuana is an underused remedy for pain, nausea and other symptoms associated with AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other chronic illnesses. Some have said it can be an ailing patient's last chance at relief.
Opponents called I-148 the first step toward legalizing pot completely and pointed to possible problems with abuse and enforcement.
Susan Gallagher
Associated Press Writer
https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/11/03/politics1234EST7302.DTL
