Pubdate: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 Source: Helena Independent Record (MT) Copyright: 2011 Helena Independent Record Contact: http://helenair.com/app/contact/letters_to_editor/ Website: http://helenair.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1187 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/states/MT/ (Montana) BUST: MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS There's been plenty of news about medical cannabis in the capital city and around the state early this week, from the high-profile law enforcement actions at the greenhouse west of town and other businesses across Montana, to the Senate committee's tie vote Monday that effectively bottled up a movement to repeal the 2004 voter initiative that legalized marijuana for medicinal use. We're loath to recommend the legislature's repealing of laws passed by voters, so we're pleased to see the repeal effort stalled for now in the Senate. Sen. Terry Murphy of Cardwell, whose district stretches north to include Jefferson County and East Helena, did the right thing by forming a subcommittee to develop an encompassing piece of legislation to correct a law that even supporters acknowledge is far from perfect, but that was, after all, the will of Montanans when it was approved six-plus years ago. It's harder to know what to make of the bust at Montana Cannabis locations around the state, including the former State Nursery greenhouse on Hwy. 12 West outside of Helena. There are far more questions than answers about what happened and why. We can say, though, that the images of federal agents bedecked in hazmat suits pulling plants from the greenhouse and handcuffing employees, with little explanation to the public as to why, doesn't help the federal government's case when it comes to not appearing overly heavy-handed and onerous in the face of state laws. And while medical cannabis is certainly controversial, it is still legal in Montana. A press release issued by the U.S. attorney on Tuesday said the bust was the culmination of an 18-month investigation into drug trafficking activities across the state. The release also claimed that "individuals with illnesses who are in clear and unambiguous compliance with state law are not the focus of this investigation." Without knowing how the bust will play out -- there have been no criminal charges filed or indictments handed down yet -- it strikes us as a public relations debacle on a couple of fronts. For supporters of medical cannabis, the bust comes at a terrible time, as the legislature debates how to make changes to the state's current law. If laws are being broken at Montana Cannabis and elsewhere, legitimate patients and providers could suffer. And from the perspective of the government, with a raid of this nature in the planning process for two weeks, according to local law enforcement officials (and apparently the result of a year-and-a-half of work), a better communication plan should have been in place. The amount of rumor, innuendo, speculation and misinformation floating around about the bust is staggering -- and that's just among the folks who have commented on the story at helenair.com. If the case against these folks is strong enough to warrant a coordinated statewide bust, it's not too much to ask for a more timely and thorough explanation of what the law enforcement agencies are doing and why. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake