Marijuana moratorium extended

Days before hundreds of protesters

lined the streets of Whitefish to express their disapproval of the

proposed medical marijuana reform bill, Senate Bill 423, Whitefish

City Council was dealing with the matter on a local level.

After little discussion, the council

unanimously approved at the May 2 meeting an ordinance extending an

existing moratorium on the opening of businesses that grow, sell or

distribute medical marijuana. The moratorium will stand for an

additional year through June 6, 2012.

The council’s vote may be unnecessary,

however, because Gov. Brian Schweitzer has said he will let SB 423

become law, effectively ending the medical marijuana business in

Montana.

Schweitzer stated at the “Politics @

the PAC” forum in Whitefish on May 5 that while he’s not a fan SB

423, it’s a compromise that will have to work until the next

legislative session.

“There’s plenty of you who are going to

be plum mad on all sides,” Schweitzer said about the bill. “Our job

as legislatures, we have got to find a balance that works for

everybody.”

Within the bill, Schweitzer said,

citizens will still have the right to possess a medical marijuana

card, to possess marijuana, and will have the opportunity to grow

marijuana plants.

The bill, however, puts an end to a $1

billion medical marijuana industry. Stricter regulations will force

growing operations and storefront dispensaries to shut down

operations by July 1. It will also make it more difficult for

people to obtain medical marijuana cards.

Earlier in the legislative session,

Schweitzer vetoed a bill that would have completely repealed the

medical marijuana law that voters approved in 2004.

Sen. Ryan Zinke, R- Whitefish,

questioned at the forum whether voters in 2004 got what they voted

for.

“Did you vote for a $1.2 billion

industry?” Zinke asked the audience. “Did you vote that as you

drive into Helena, the state nursery is a pot farm?

“It’s a big issue. This idea that it’s

OK — it isn’t OK. When I travel on the east side and oil companies

tell me they don’t want to hire Montana guys because they’re

smoking pot — it’s an issue.

Compared to doing nothing, Zinke said,

SB 423 “is not so bad.”