VOTERS WILL LIKELY DECIDE FATE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Medical marijuana purveyors are holding out hope that Gov. Brian
Schweitzer will change his mind and veto recently passed legislation
that will essentially bring the rapidly growing industry to a halt.

But they would do well to disabuse themselves of that notion. It's
unlikely Schweitzer will reverse his stated intentions to let the law
be enacted. And he shouldn't. The announced plans of some marijuana
providers is convincing evidence that this situation has gotten out of hand.

Senate Bill 423 severely restricts the growth and use of marijuana
for medicinal purposes. It limits growers to three clients apiece and
bans them from selling it for a profit. The bill will end what has
become a multimillion-dollar industry, with caregivers growing vast
amounts of pot and providing it to dozens of clients.

It's estimated that the number of medical marijuana users has grown
to more than 30,000 statewide. Schweitzer says that, while he
disapproves of the measure's ban on growers making a profit - a
provision that will essentially force legitimate medical marijuana
users to grow their own - he will allow the bill to become law by not
signing it within the 10 days he has to veto it.

Growers, faced with the end of their business in a couple of months
when the bill becomes law, vow to gather signatures for a voter
referendum to overturn the new law, something that is unlikely to
happen before the July 1 enactment date.

Others have said they will take their business underground and ignore
the law - proof the industry has gone far beyond what voters
envisioned when they approved the use of medical marijuana in 2004.

Schweitzer has little choice. The marijuana business has run amok in
recent years, as evidenced by the fact that nearly one in 30 state
residents is a card-carrying user.

By letting Senate Bill 423 become law, he sets the stage for dueling
referendums: one sponsored by growers that will repeal the new
regulations, and one sponsored by medical marijuana opponents that
will repeal the 2004 referendum.

And that should provide some clarity on just how the voters want to
resolve this issue.