Pubdate: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 Source: Bozeman Daily Chronicle (MT) Copyright: 2011 The Bozeman Daily Chronicle Contact: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1686 MARIJUANA LEGISLATION ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE Federal agents descending with full regalia, bales of marijuana seized, million-dollar bank accounts frozen -- when did this turn into a Mexican border town? That was the scene earlier this week as federal law enforcement officers executed 26 search warrants in 13 Montana cities and towns -- including Four Corners -- in a first-ever crackdown on the state's budding medical marijuana industry. But, as of yet anyway, no one has been arrested. It seems as though there are just a bunch of people -- medical marijuana growers and public officials alike -- standing around scratching their heads. Just what exactly happened here? It will probably be a while before it all shakes out, but this much we do know: Montana lawmakers need to get busy -- now. Subsequent revelations seem to indicate the feds were cracking down on what they allege to be marijuana trafficking between the growers who provide the medical marijuana to patients. Montana's voter-approved medical marijuana initiative prohibits this. Or does it? An attorney for the growers says it's a gray area that lawmakers need to sort out. This much seems clear: The more than 4,000 providers of medical marijuana to nearly 30,000 patients in Montana have pushed the limits of the new law. And if they were surprised by Monday's raids, they shouldn't have been. Growing acres of pot was bound to get a reaction from law enforcement officers who are looking for any way to gain control over the situation. What's ironic about this week's raids is that all of the marijuana involved would have eventually ended up in the hands of legitimate users -- at least according to the initiative Montana voters approved some six and a half years ago. But law enforcement officers just couldn't stand by and watch, given the sheer volume of the drug being processed and traded. That's where the Legislature needs to step in. So far, the lawmakers have spent the bulk of their breath on an effort to repeal the voter-approved initiative. That is now stalled in committee and unlikely to reemerge as a viable option. Now lawmakers have to do the hard work: establish a regulatory system that reflects the will of the voters. This doesn't have to be rocket science. Just visit the legislation governing the same activity in other states and take what you like. There may even be possibilities for taxing the marijuana sales and providing a little tax relief to other state tax payers. Just make the rules and then let's enforce them. And let's this week's federal raids the last that we see around here. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.