Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jan 2012
Source: Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)
Copyright: 2012 The Spokesman-Review
Contact:  http://www.spokesman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/417
Author: Betsy Z. Russell

MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL INTRODUCED IN IDAHO HOUSE

BOISE - Medical marijuana legislation was introduced in the Idaho 
House today, where Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, introduced HB 370 as a 
personal bill.

He proposed similar legislation last year; it got an informational 
hearing from the House Health & Welfare Committee, but didn't 
proceed. HB 370 would permit patients with debilitating medical 
conditions to be dispensed up to 2 ounces of marijuana every 28 days; 
they'd have to get it from state-authorized "alternative treatment centers."

The bill says, "Compassion dictates that a distinction be made 
between medical and nonmedical uses of marijuana. Hence, the purpose 
of this chapter is to protect from arrest, prosecution, property 
forfeiture, and criminal or other penalties those patients who use 
marijuana to alleviate suffering from debilitating medical 
conditions, as well as their physicians, primary care givers and 
those who are authorized to produce marijuana for medical purposes." 
Under the measure, only patients who'd registered with the state and 
received a registration card could legally possess medical marijuana.

An Idaho group currently is gathering signatures for a proposed 
initiative to legalize medical marijuana; Trail said last year that 
other states' experience has shown that legislation with strict 
controls is preferable to a voter initiative.

In the Idaho Legislature, individual lawmakers can introduce 
legislation without a committee's say-so within the opening weeks of 
the session; they then are assigned to committees for possible hearings.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom