LEGISLATURE SHOULD OBEY WILL OF THE PEOPLE

The 62nd session of the Montana Legislature, affectionately known to
some as the four-month hangover, continues to discuss the question of
medical marijuana. Our legislators have debated this issue for week
after week after week and still they haven't taken any action. It's
like they're stoned or something.

The initial attempt to repeal the medical marijuana law failed because
the will of the people spoke. This had scholars scrambling to find out
if there was ever another time in Montana history when politicians
were successful with the "will of the people" ploy.

A recent proposal to reform the program seeks to severely limit access
to medical marijuana and put the program under the control of the
Public Service Commission. For those who don't know, the Public
Service Commission sets utility rates for power companies and tells
God how much wind can blow on any given day. The chairman of the PSC
doesn't want to oversee medical marijuana. He is afraid the FBI will
raid PSC offices, overturn file cabinets, and force PSC employees to
inhale helium just to hear them talk funny, because, let's face it,
ever since they caught the Unabomber, FBI agents in Montana really
don't have much to do. (Whoops, now they are Googling my name.)

We Montanans are confused. The Obama administration promised it would
not interfere with a state's prerogative to abide by the U.S.
Constitution, even if it was contrary to federal policy. But these are
strange times. After all, who would have guessed the French would dare
to attack a country larger than Liechtenstein?

Now if the Legislature really wants to obey the will of the people,
let's talk about these high gas prices.

Loren Buettner

Bozeman