I-148: LEGALIZATION OF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA FOR THE SERIOUSLY ILL

Opinions from patrons watching Tuesday evening's election proceedings
at the Rhino in downtown Missoula echoed what polls had predicted for
some time: A large majority supported the legalization of medical marijuana.

Paige Pavalone, a political science graduate student, empathized with
the pro-legalization ads put forth by the Missoula-based Medical
Marijuana Policy Project of Montana.

"Morphine sometimes just doesn't do what marijuana can," she said.
"It's not like we're going to sell the stuff on the streets."

Pavalone just didn't see how terminal patients posed any risk to the
system by using a substance that makes their last days easier.

Polling of Montanans from late October showed 63 percent felt more or
less the same way as Pavalone and election results in by early
Wednesday morning revealed nearly exactly this result.

Oregon and Alaska also have marijuana-related initiatives on their
ballots.

Oregon's Measure 33 planned to expand the state's Medical Marijuana
act and create dispensaries for approved patients and doctors. The
initiative failed 58 to 42 percent.

Also failing by a similar margin, 57 to 43 percent, was the Alaskan
initiative. If passed, it would have required a second statewide vote
to fully decriminalize marijuana. Possession, use, cultivation
distribution and hemp cultivation would all have been legal and
subject to state legislation had the second vote passed.