MISSOULA - Evan Corum of Whitefish got six months in federal prison and another six of house arrest after federal agents busted his medical marijuana operation last year.

Michael Kassner of Kalispell got a year and a day for his involvement in another medical cannabis case. So did Tyler Roe.

Jonathan Janetski, charged along with Kassner and Roe, is looking at up to three years in prison, according to his lawyer, Todd Glazier of Kalispell. But, he says:

Janetski didn't grow marijuana.

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Evan Corum of Whitefish got six months in federal prison and another six of house arrest after federal agents busted his medical marijuana operation last year.

Michael Kassner of Kalispell got a year and a day for his involvement in another medical cannabis case. So did Tyler Roe.

Jonathan Janetski, charged along with Kassner and Roe, is looking at up to three years in prison, according to his lawyer, Todd Glazier of Kalispell. But, he says:

Janetski didn't grow marijuana.

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MISSOULA - A Flathead Valley landlord faces prison time for his tenants' medical marijuana operation.

The attorney for Jonathan Janetski said the landlord faces up to 36 months in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 19 on a charge of maintaining drug-involved premises.

The charge against Janetski stems from the March 2011 federal raids on medical marijuana operations across Montana that targeted an operation run by his tenants, Evan Corum, Michael Kassner and Tyler Roe.

The tenants already have been sentenced on federal drug charges.

Attorney Todd Glazier said he believes Janetski is the only landlord charged in the 2011 raids. He said the experience should be a cautionary tale to those who rent to medical marijuana businesses.

[end]

HELENA - A year after agents raided his medical marijuana operation in a sweeping sting that shut down pot providers across Montana, Chris Williams is stepping up his challenge of the federal operation that changed the face of the industry in the state.

Williams, a former co-owner of the now-defunct Montana Cannabis, and more than a dozen other providers are taking a constitutional fight over the federal crackdown to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a district judge dismissed the case in January. He also is preparing for his own possible arrest related to last year's raids.

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The number of medical marijuana cardholders in Montana continues to plummet, while the number of legal marijuana providers is a fraction of its peak, as the industry faces an uncertain future here.

The 2011 Legislature passed of a much more restrictive law, Senate Bill 423, which has reduced these numbers. Then there were several dozen federal raids of medical marijuana growing operations, along with the arrests and convictions of some owners.

The combination of the new law and the federal raids has put a damper on the once-booming industry here, officials say.

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The prohibitionist model is one of blind ignorance, abject failure and economic collapse. Its underlying ideology is one of fear, envy, greed and hate. Never have so many been endangered and impoverished by so few, so quickly!

Do you wish to greatly reduce, even almost eliminate the market in illegal narcotics? Then please help us to dismantle prohibition enabling us to legalize, regulate and tax!

Do you wish to bring about an enormous reduction in the presence and influence of organized crime? Then please help us to dismantle prohibition enabling us to legalize, regulate and tax!

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The use of synthetic marijuana is an unintended side effect of the war on natural marijuana. Military personnel and others who are drug tested are turning to potentially toxic drugs made in China and sold as research chemicals before being repackaged as legal incense. Expanding the drug war will only add to what is already the highest incarceration rate in the world. Chinese chemists will tweak formulas to stay one step ahead of the law and two steps ahead of the drug tests. Misguided efforts to protect children from drugs are putting children at great risk.

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HELENA-The number of medical marijuana cardholders in Montana continues to plummet, while the number of legal marijuana providers is a fraction of its peak, as the industry faces an uncertain future here.

The 2011 Legislature passed of a much more restrictive law, Senate Bill 423, which has reduced these numbers. Then there were several dozen federal raids of medical marijuana growing operations, along with the arrests and convictions of some owners.

The combination of the new law and the federal raids has put a damper on the once-booming industry here, officials say.

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When federal agents raided medical marijuana businesses around Montana last year, the consequences for those indicted as a result seemed dire.

They faced mandatory minimum sentences of at least five years in prison on some charges, with maximum penalties of 40 years and fines ranging as high as $5 million.

But the sentences handed down so far, all the result of plea agreements that saw some charges dropped, have been considerably shorter, ranging from six months to 18 months.

And in one case where attorneys agreed on sentencing guidelines of 24-30 months for each of three men, a federal judge in Helena halved the minimum, sentencing them instead to a single year. Senior Judge Charles Lovell criticized the guidelines as "excessive," making particular mention of the fact that the three men, who operated businesses in Helena and Great Falls, believed their work to be legal under state law.

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HELENA -- The number of medical marijuana cardholders in Montana continues to plummet while the number of legal marijuana providers is a fraction of its peak, as the industry faces an uncertain future here.

In 2011, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 423, a much more restrictive law that reduced the number of cardholders. Then there were several dozen federal raids of medical marijuana growing operations, along with the arrests and convictions of some owners.

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While Montanans have been fiercely debating medical marijuana, another kind of marijuana has become a national trend.

Nearly one in nine U.S. high school seniors has used "synthetic marijuana," according to a 2011 survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It was the first time the annual survey asked about synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice. Until recently, these chemical concoctions designed to mimic the effects of marijuana were available in some Montana convenience stores. The NIDA survey found that 11.4 percent of students surveyed reported using Spice within the past year.

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To The Editor:

In regard to the petition to legalize marijuana. Well, here we go down the wrong road again. We legalized alcohol finally, and what happened? It was supposed to be in moderation and for social purposes. It really had no medicinal purpose that I know of other than a form of sterilization of a wound possibly. But, our government saw it was a way that it might as well collect tax on rather than let it continue to run out of control as something it couldn't stop.

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Re: Jan. 24 story by Associated Press reporter Matt Volz

What trumps federal law is the federal Constitution.

I claim the federal classification of marijuana as a controlled substance is arbitrary and violates due process of law. Marijuana does not meet all three criteria to be a controlled substance; potential for abuse, medicinal use and safety of use. Federal laws says safety of use determines medicinal use. Marijuana is safe to use without medical supervision. Marijuana is not dangerous or life-threatening.

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I am extremely confused with some recent events and highly reported stories here in our state that make absolutely no sense and seem to contradict each other.

First we have Judge Donald Molloy saying federal law trumps Montana's medical marijuana law. Molloy wrote in his order that providers can be prosecuted under the federal Controlled Substances Act even if they are following state law.

Now without getting into state's rights vs. feds here, I understand his order even if I totally disagree with it. What I seem to be hearing is that we have to follow federal law no matter what the citizens of this state vote into law.

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A federal judge in Missoula ruled Jan. 20 that federal drug laws trump Montana's medical marijuana law.

U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy dismissed a civil lawsuit brought by 14 individuals and businesses who were among the two dozen medical marijuana providers raided by federal agents in March last year.

The plaintiffs claimed the raids had violated their constitutional rights, citing the 2004 citizens initiative that led to Montana's Medical Marijuana Act.

Molloy, however, ruled that the plaintiffs could be prosecuted under the federal Controlled Substances Act. He cited a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that applied the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause to medical marijuana cases.

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Diane Sands is used to having her name taken in vain.

That's just part of being a liberal from Missoula in the Montana Legislature.

But her name surfaced recently in a way that offended and troubled her at a profound level.

A possible witness in a federal drug investigation was asked whether Sands might be part of a conspiracy to sell medical marijuana. The questions came from Drug Enforcement Administration agents from Billings who were investigating medical marijuana businesses, and Sands learned about the inquiry from the witness' attorney.

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With all the uncertainty surrounding state and federal medical marijuana laws, the Hamilton City Council is considering a temporary ban of new medical marijuana shops within the city limits.

At the council's Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night, council members instructed city attorney Karen Mahar to draft an interim zoning ordinance that would prohibit the city from issuing business licenses to new marijuana dispensaries for six months.

At Tuesday's meeting, Mahar brought the committee a draft ordinance she and special projects manager Dennis Stranger have worked on since late September.

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Want to solve our economic woes? Legalize drugs and tax them. Want to stop killings and drive-by shootings? Legalize drugs and tax them. Want to see a reduction in gangs? Legalize drugs and tax them. Want to unplug our court system? Legalize drugs and tax them. Want to reduce our prison budgets? Legalize drugs and tax them. Want to prevent Mexico from civil war? Legalize drugs and tax them. Want to stop wasting money on a defunct DEA? Legalize drugs and tax them.

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HELENA - A judge has ruled that Montana's medical marijuana law doesn't shield providers of the drug from federal prosecution, delivering a new blow to an industry reeling from a state and federal crackdown.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy on Friday dismissed a civil lawsuit filed by 14 individuals and businesses that were among more than two dozen medical marijuana providers raided by federal agents last year across Montana.

The providers claimed the raids violated their constitutional rights in part because state law passed by voter initiative in 2004 allows them to grow and produce the drug for medical consumption.

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As Richard and Justin Flor prepare to enter guilty pleas Tuesday to an unknown number of charges against them surrounding the family's medical marijuana business, new court documents explained how the case was investigated.

The Flor family was involved in one of the state's largest medical marijuana operations.

In an "offer of proof" filed late last week by the U.S. Attorney's office, it appears that Justin Flor will plead guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. The document doesn't mention any of the other 14 charges filed against him, nor does it mention charges filed against his father, Richard Flor or his plea agreement. However, Richard Flor's attorney, Brad Arndorfer, has requested a change-of-plea hearing too.

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