MEDICAL-MARIJUANA BILL SHELVED

A plan to expand the state's 2004 medical-marijuana law was shelved in
committee today.

Supporters of the provision wanted to let patients grow more plants
and possess more marijuana. Voters passed the medical-marijuana law
two years ago after the Legislature initially rejected it.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee led an effort to table
the bill, House Bill 311, sponsored by Rep. Ron Erickson, D-Missoula.
They argued the current law has protections built into it to make sure
marijuana is not abused.

Erickson argued a day earlier that users of medical marijuana need to
be allowed to possess more than one ounce to make sure they always
have some available.

Other changes Erickson proposed include expanding the law to allow a
sick person to designate a "transporter" to legally pick up marijuana
for them, and allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to
prescribe medical marijuana.

A patient must be diagnosed by a physician as having a "debilitating
medical condition," such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, severe muscle
spasms or chronic pain, to get medical marijuana.