HOUSE PANEL REVIVES BILL ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The Bill Would Not Legalize the Drug, but Would Allow Certain Patients
to Possess It.

A bill that would allow some patients in Minnesota to use medical
marijuana was resurrected on Wednesday.

The bill, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee easily,
would not legalize marijuana. But it would allow patients who qualify
to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and to receive similar
amounts on a regular basis from groups set up to dispense the drug.

The measure passed the Minnesota Senate last year but did not receive
a House vote.

The effort to have medical marijuana approved in Minnesota has been
more than 10 years in the making and most recently has seen growing
support among Republicans who previously might have been expected to
oppose to it.

Rep. Chris DeLaForest, R-Andover, is a co-sponsor of the House bill
and predicted bipartisan support for its passage.

"To me, this is the ultimate conservative issue," DeLaForest said.
"It's about keeping the government out of the doctor-patient
relationship."

The vote occurred without debate, but the bill can be expected to
generate controversy when it comes to the House floor, which is
expected within the next few weeks.

The measure requires patients to have a card issued by the Minnesota
Department of Health. Nonprofits can be established to grow and
distribute the medical marijuana with up to 12 plants per patient.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has sympathized with objections to the proposal from
law-enforcement groups, and spokesman Brian McClung reiterated on
Wednesday that he would veto a bill if it does not contain provisions
that are palatable to the law-enforcement community.

The state measure would be in conflict with federal law, which makes
the possession of marijuana illegal. Doctors would recommend medical
marijuana to patients but would not actually prescribe it under the
bill. Twelve other states have medical-marijuana laws. Similar bills
are now under consideration in Illinois and New York, and an
initiative is expected to appear on Michigan's November ballot.