In Wednesday night’s State of the State address, Governor Dayton didn’t mention the popular medical marijuana legislation making its way through Minnesota Senate committees this week.
Perhaps the policy question is hiding behind his desk.
SF1641 was heard this afternoon in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which passed it on a voice vote without recommendation to the Finance Committee. Bill sponsor Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) agreed to accept Scott Newman’s (R-Hutchinson) motion after Senator Newman agreed not to use the lack of recommendation as a talking point against the bill when it comes to the floor.
A pro-cannabis site reports in Medical Marijuana Compromise Bill Continues To Advance In State Senate:
Senate Committee on Judiciary refers SF 1641 to Senate Committee on Finance; measure would allow people with specific debilitating medical conditions to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it
A bill that would provide legal access to medical marijuana for people with specific debilitating medical conditions continued to advance on Wednesday in the Minnesota Senate. The Senate Committee on Judiciary referred the measure to the Senate Finance Committee, where it is expected to receive a hearing and a vote.
The Senate Committee on State and Local Government approved the bill Tuesday, and the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services and Housing approved it last week.
“This week has been a breath of fresh air for seriously ill Minnesotans who would benefit from legal access to medical marijuana,” said Heather Azzi, political director for Minnesotans for Compassionate Care. “We knew this legislation would enjoy broad support once it received the consideration it deserves. The rate at which it is advancing finally reflects its urgency.”
However, law enforcement lobbyists aren’t going down quietly. The Star Tribune’s Patrick Condon reports in Minnesota law officers seek to slow medical marijuana effort:
Minnesota police officers, sheriffs and prosecutors pushed back hard Wednesday against legalizing marijuana for medical use, as a proposal to do just that picks up steam in the state Senate.
“It will end up in the hands of our children,” said John Kingrey, executive director of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association. “It will result in more kids being arrested for possession of marijuana. We believe it sends the unintended message to our youth that marijuana is a safe substance.”
Condon writes as if the bill is barely limping along, although his article doesn’t include any of the testimony in favor of the bill. Minnesota Public Radio’s Tom Scheck’s report, Cops hint at medical marijuana compromise, is a bit more sunny:
Police and prosecutors say they’re open to a compromise on medical marijuana but remain firmly opposed to efforts to allow patients to smoke it.
Law enforcement groups told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that they might not oppose marijuana extracts like oils or pills for treatment, but they don’t want to see the creation of 55 marijuana dispensaries, as allowed in the bill. . . .
ut state Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis disagreed that law enforcement groups were willing to compromise.
“Sure, they’ve agreed to talk but they’ve asked me to simply leave my legislation at home because there’s nothing in the bill that they would support, effectively telling me ‘take our idea or nothing,’” he said.
Dibble said patients need to be able to smoke marijuana because oils and extracts don’t work on everyone.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure. The bill now moves to the Senate Finance Committee.
We’ll post the entire video of the hearing here as it becomes available so that readers can watching the hearing themselves.
More legislators are publicly stating where they stand on the legislation. The Pierce County Herald reports in a Minnesota news wrap-up:
The medical marijuana bill has its third Senate hearing this afternoon but the measure has stalled in the Minnesota House. There’s been no action since it cleared the Health and Human Services committee last month. Rep. Shannon Savick of Wells says she’d support the legalization of marijuana for seriously ill Minnesotans. She says “what I wouldn’t want is legalizing all marijuana.” Savick says her son was addicted to marijuana after high school and it changed his personality. Supporters say they have the votes in the Senate and House to pass the medical marijuana bill.
Bluestem has added Savick’s statement to the House Whip Count. You can review the MN Senate medical marijuana people’s whip count here. While we restricted by the guidelines we set-up for a “people’s” whip count, we are inclined to agree with the supporters.
Photo: Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis.
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Bluestem Prairie: Not a mention in MNSOTS: Medical cannabis bill advances in Senate, next stop ...
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