| Graphic: The Weed Blog |
A group which claims medical marijuana “breeds lawlessness” is trying to repeal Montana’s law legalizing medicinal cannabis. The group received their approved petition Friday afternoon, and can now begin collecting signatures to place the misguided initiative on the November ballot.
The so-called “Safe Community Safe Kids” proposal needs to collect at least 24,337 signatures by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 18, reports KVTQ News.
“It’s perfectly clear,” said attorney and state Senator Jim Shockley (R-Victor), who helped rewrite the statement. “You are either for the current medical marijuana act or you’re against it, and that’s the choice the voter gets.”
The proposal calls for repealing the initiative legalizing medical marijuana, which was passed by an overwhelming 62 percent of Montana voters in 2004.
| Photo: Montana Legislature |
| This guy’s a king hell dumbass: State Senator Jim Shockley says medical marijuana “breeds lawlessness” |
Shockley said that he opposed the initiative in 2004, because, he claims, it is clearly against federal law.
Besides, Shockley said, there has “been uncontrolled use of the drug.”
“I think it breeds lawlessness,” Shockley said.
Hmm… wonder what breeds cluelessness?
Shockley said he has already written a bill to repeal the medical marijuana law, in case the initiative does not get on the ballot or does not pass.
If the law gets repealed, Shockley said he expects the Legislature to “re-look” at the medical marijuana law, to prevent what he claimed are “abuses.”
Even if the initiative gets on the ballot, it may have a difficult time passing. According to a local newspaper poll, Montanans still support legalized medical marijuana in their state.
The Helena Independent Record asked readers; The newspaper asked readers: “If medical marijuana were put back to the public vote now, would you vote for it given the lack of regulatory framework?”
Even with the somewhat, shall we say, negatively phrased question, a healthy majority of the 247 readers responding to the unscientific poll — 138, or 56 percent — said “yes,” they would still vote for medical pot.
“The time and energy spent on this debate is beyond all comprehension and reason,” one reader commented. “Don’t we have enough to worry about — like the war, the economy and the oil spill, to name a few? Legalize marijuana and tax it and help solve our debt problem big time. Is it as bad as the damage done with legal substances such as alcohol and cigarettes?”
“Let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water,” another reader said. “Obviously, the state’s regulation of the growth, distribution and approval for use of medical marijuana has been inadequate, and the medical profession has not adequately monitored unethical MDs who have become a traveling, use-approval sideshow. The problems can, and should, be remedied without denying marijuana to legitimate medical users.”
“If medical marijuana provides relief for even one patient who is suffering the pain of cancer of the nausea associated with chemotherapy,” wrote another reader, “then it is worth my vote.”
“I voted for medical marijuana and would again,” commented yet another reader. “It is the legislators who messed up.”
“Just to set the record straight, medical Cannabis is HIGHLY effective in a variety of medical conditions (this herb makes cancer patients eat again – are you kidding me), and its addiction potential is a fraction of that of alcohol and most controlled prescription drugs,” Dr. Leonard Krivitsky told Toke of the Town.
“All declarations to the contrary are simply untrue,” Dr. Krivitsky said. “Also, isn’t it up to the patients themselves to judge if a medication is effective or not? Well, then…”