Medical Marijuana

Although medical marijuana use is still illegal on the federal level, the Obama administration said today that it won’t go after patients or their providers in states where it is legal.

Two Minnesota headlines have collided this week. Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a medical marijuana bill citing concerns by law enforcement who say the bill would increase marijuana use throughout the state. And 13-year-old Daniel Hauser is court ordered to receive chemotherapy against his will and that of his parents.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a bill to legalize marijuana for terminally ill patients late Friday evening, saying he sides with law enforcement opposition to the bill. Bill proponents say they will introduce a constitutional amendment to bypass the governor, noting overwhelming popular support in the state on the issue.

Former Rep. Chris Delaforest, R-Andover, will be joining his Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s staff this summer as Director of Legislative and Cabinet Affairs. Delaforest retired from the legislature in 2008 and became a key lobbyist for Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, the main group advocating for medical marijuana in Minnesota.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that he will definitely veto a medical marijuana bill that passed the state Legislature on Monday. But, he added, “I have great empathy for the sick.”

For the first time in a decade of effort, medical marijuana bill is heading to the governor’s desk. Legislators added new restrictions to the final version of the bill in an attempt to assuage Gov. Palwenty’s concerns. But one legislator might have taken his opposition too far, as Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, offered a series of amendments many in the House found offensive.

The law enforcement lobby has been conducting a full-court press against a medical marijuana bill that’s making its way through the legislature. But the claims made by Minnesota law enforcement officials are at best half-truths and exaggerations, and in some cases directly contradict government data.

innesota’s medical marijuana bill cleared its last committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, paving the way for a House vote. It passed the House Finance Committee by a bipartisan vote of 17–6 after no debate. Several major changes were made to the bill to appease law enforcement.

A bill to legalize medical marijuana for seriously ill Minnesotans passed the State Senate on Wednesday. The bill prompted an hour of heated debate before passing the chamber by a vote of 36 to 28. The bill awaits a vote in the House before making its way to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who has indicated he will veto the bill.

In a tense exchange in the House Tuesday, Rep. Tom Rukavina, author of the medical marijuana bill, responded defiantly to testimony that law enforcement had met with him to voice concerns over the bill. “No member of your coalition has ever talked to me about this bill,” he said. “No one.”