Last month, at a news conference, Attorney General Eric Holder said that there would be no more federal prosecutions of cases involving medical cannabis dispensaries. He said they would be left alone as long as they were complying with state laws. The decision affects Montana and 12 other states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state.
Meanwhile, a Montana bill seeking to expand the State’s medical marijuana program has passed the Senate and is beginning hearings in the House. Senate Bill 326 increases the amount of marijuana that a patient or “caregiver” can possess, from one ounce to three ounces. It also allows patients to get the drug from more than one licensed caregiver, allows licensed growers to have six “mature” plants rather than just six plants, and adds some additional medical conditions or diseases that can be legally treated by marijuana, such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and post- traumatic stress syndrome.
