MONTANA ADVOCATES PURSUE VETO, LAWSUIT, SUSPENSION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

HELENA - Medical marijuana advocates are launching a three-pronged
strategy - veto, sue and suspend - to stop the recently passed bill
that would impose far greater restrictions on the industry and make it
harder for people to qualify for medical pot.

First, they are trying to convince Gov. Brian Schweitzer to change his
mind and veto Senate Bill 423 by Sen. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings.
Schweitzer said Friday he wouldn't veto the bill, but instead would
let it become law without his signature. It has not become law yet.

The groups also may file lawsuits to challenge the future law, which
would put medical marijuana growers and caregivers out of business by
July 1.

Finally, they want to stop it in its tracks by mounting a referendum
to suspend the law before it takes effect and let voters decide its
fate on the November 2012 ballot.

"We're still hoping the governor reconsiders his position and
reconsiders," said Jim Gingery, executive director of the Montana
Medical Growers Association. "The governor's very unpredictable."

Added Tom Daubert, founder of Patients & Families United, a medical
marijuana advocacy group: "No question the priority at the moment and
the sole focus at the movement is to try to persuade the governor to
change his mind."

Montana NORML, which advocates for legalization of marijuana, is
organizing a rally in Whitefish on Thursday morning when Schweitzer
speaks to the Chamber of Commerce. The group is calling for "a mass of
people, dressed in their Sunday best, politely holding VETO SB423
signs," its newsletter says.

Schweitzer reiterated Tuesday he has no intention of vetoing the
medical marijuana bill.

He said he has already made his opinion known about SB423 in the
amendatory veto he issued last week. A legislative conference
committee adopted some but not all of his changes.

Schweitzer said there were only 17 House votes and 15 Senate votes
against SB423, for a combined total of 32 votes. He would need 51
votes - 34 in the House and 17 in the House - to uphold his veto on
any bill.

"The numbers are not there," he said. "That's the end of
it."

The second approach is a lawsuit.

"We're certainly going to look at legal alternatives to stop the bill
from being enacted," Gingery said.

Daubert agreed, saying: "I've certainly asked some of the most
experienced attorneys I know to take a hard look at the bill."

John Masterson of Montana NORML said in an email newsletter that "the
right legal action, launched in the right jurisdiction, could prevent
or delay implementation of SB423."

"My gut feeling is that there are probably 10-plus big growers out
there, with a bundle of cash and a top-shelf lawyer ready to do this -
but, please, you guys, slow down and consider this: If multiple suits
are launched in different jurisdictions that argue some of the same
points, it's possible the suits could be combined to be heard in one
court - which might be the worst court we could be in."

Jason Christ of Missoula, founder of the Montana Caregivers Network,
who signed up thousands of medical marijuana cardholders, said in an
email he's preparing a lawsuit against the state and will post it on
his website.

"Keep checking back for the documents," he said on his website. "You
will be able to use them for court action against the state of
Montana. Montana State Constitution says that we can sue the
(expletive) out of our government." He cited the right of privacy.

The final option is to obtain enough signatures to put SB423 on the
ballot as a referendum in 2012, or with enough signatures, to suspend
SB423 before it takes effect. That effort can't begin until SB423
becomes law.

Gingery said the groups are in the process of preparing a referendum
so people can begin gathering signatures at the right time. Daubert
called this "a natural thing to think of, too."

Montana NORML said the effort may take 100,000 signatures, so some
1,000 signature gatherers must be recruited.

It was unclear from the secretary of state's office Tuesday exactly
how many total signatures are needed.

A simple referendum requires at least 5 percent of the registered
voters in the state to sign the petitions, including those from at
least 33 of the state House districts.

Suspending a law passed by the Legislature requires at least 15
percent of the voters in at least 51 of the House districts.