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Stephanie S.

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Both sides speak out on I-148: Initiative would legalize medical Marijuana
By JENNY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

When Paul Befumo's father underwent chemotherapy for lung cancer, he was so sick he couldn't eat.

While his father struggled to stay comfortable in the last months of his life, Befumo and the rest of the family couldn't help him, he said. There wasn't anything that helped the nausea.

Since his father's death two years ago, Befumo has championed the use of medical Marijuana in Montana and is the primary writer of Initiative 148, which would legalize the growing and possession of Marijuana for medical use in Montana.

"I hated seeing what my dad went through - not being able to control the nausea," Befumo said. "When there is something out there that works as well as medical Marijuana, our doctor should have been able to offer it as an option."
If the initiative passes, Montana would become one of 10 states with medical Marijuana laws.

The initiative allows patients with certain ailments to use the drug under the supervision of their doctor. If the initiative becomes law, only medical doctors would be allowed to certify that a patient should be registered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services, which would issue an identification card allowing the patient or their caregiver to grow and posses up to six Marijuana plants or one ounce of Marijuana.

Opponents argue that possession of Marijuana is still illegal under federal law and is classified as a Level 1 control drug, and that's why physicians shouldn't prescribe the drug. While several court decisions have found in favor of the states that have medical Marijuana, including Vermont, Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Maine and Hawaii, those cases are on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court with a decision expected in the next term.

Opponents say allowing the use of Marijuana in some cases and not in others would be hard to enforce and make a mess of the courts. And legalizing it, even for Montana's sickest people, sends a bad message to youth, according to Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman.

"I see the measure as creating problems for society, even for medical use," he said.

The Montana Medical Association and other statewide organizations oppose the initiative.

Brian Zins, executive vice president and CEO of the Montana Medical Association, said the measure is unnecessary as there is already a Federal Drug Administration-approved drug on the market with the same active ingredient contained in Marijuana.

"People that need that type of assistance can obtain it through existing drugs," he said.

Befumo said Tuesday putting people with painful illnesses in jail for using a drug recommended by their doctor sends a worse message.

"There is no justification for sending innocent people to jail," he said referring to a Montana man who spent 18 months in the state prison for smoking Marijuana to combat the pain of multiple sclerosis. "I'm 100 percent confident that if people understand all of the facts, they'd support the measure."

In a poll conducted last month by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, Inc. for Lee Newspapers of Montana, about 58 percent of voters support the initiative. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Befumo said many nurses and caregivers in Montana support the initiative, which narrowly defines exactly what illnesses can be treated with Marijuana.

"There are no loop holes in the interpretation of the statute," he said.

All of the 4,000-5,000 people in Montana diagnosed each year with cancer could be candidates for medical Marijuana, which is reported to suppress nausea and vomiting, reduce muscle spasms in people with multiple sclerosis and relieve the intra-ocular pressure of glaucoma.

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"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." —George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 (Listen to audio)

 

Plainsman1963

Each state is a base hit. With enough base hits, you win the ballgame.

I think we really started to make progress when we quit swinging for the home run.
Personally, I love seeing that as an argument. Puts the pressure on the Federal Government as more and more states pass this type of legislation and the gap between States Vs. Feds becomes wider.
No, some can't in my opinion.
Also being able to gauge exactly how much is needed for symptom relief. Much easier to inhale the smoke (preferably with a vaporizer) and feel the reaction immediately as compared to trying to down a pill and waiting to see if it was too much/not enough.

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MickityMike

Perhaps we're witnessing the beginning stages of the death of the Federal Government's war on mj...?



Die, die, die my darling!

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I'd be delighted to live in a country where happily married gay couples had closets full of assault weapons. - Glenn Reynolds