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Medical Marijuana Licensing Rules Favor the Very Big and Very Small
Last week, rules in regards to the 2016 citizens initiative and the 2017 legislation, SB 333, were filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. The rules clearly need further development and it is our belief the department will continue to work on them. However, there are also serious issues with the rules which result in a break from what was structured by the laws passed by voters and the state legislature. In this post, we will discuss the issues with the proposed [...]
January Panel Update
This afternoon the MTCIA participated in a panel before the Children and Families Interim Committee. Legislative Services and DPHHS also gave presentations. DPHHS mentioned a few items that will be in the final rules (not a comprehensive report). They said the rules will be filed on January 30th. Some items they mentioned: - Random testing for Pesticides - METRC for a tracking system - Training on tracking system to be provided for providers beginning February 5th. - Eliminating the "no criminal history for employees" [...]
Cole Memo Rescinding
AG Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Cole memo. This has direct and immediate consequences for issues related to banking as the federal banking guidelines for cannabis businesses are based on the Cole memo. States with adult-use laws are now significantly more exposed to federal intervention as they are not covered by the Rorahbacher-Farr amendment. Medical states are also more vulnerable. So, what's going on? Does Sessions know Trump is getting rid of him so trying to get his shots in before he's [...]
Regarding Montana Cannabis Industry Association
Ms. Goodhope, Thank you for your email on Dec. 7th, 2017, and the explanation with regard to your registering the Montana Cannabis Industry Association. The MTCIA has recently been exploring a change to our name as the result of the political atmosphere at the federal level, with the United States Attorney General clearly exhibiting a desire to see the medical and recreational cannabis industry in the United States either shut down or severely limited. A recent consequence of the federal government's newly [...]
Update on 2017 Medical Marijuana Legislation
Update on 2017 Medical Marijuana Legislation The first half of the 2017 legislative session involved considerable conversations with legislators and other stakeholders up at the Capitol. The MTCIA has contributed to draft legislation expected to be introduced in March. The MTCIA brought the following provisions to the table: Establishment of a seed-to-sale tracking system Shifting the plants-to-patient model of managing volume to a licensing per square foot cultivated model Mandated testing only if DPHHS could ensure affordability, availability, and standardization. Inclusion of [...]
The MTCIA Hits the Halls of the Capitol
In these first days of the 2017 Legislative Session, it seems legislators do not have the blood thirst to kill the medical marijuana program that has been evidenced in the past. This is good news. However, there are new and different fronts that require attention and work. Generally speaking, there seems to be some interest in reaping the benefits (revenue, that is) of a recreational program from Montana’s modest medical program. Though most legislators do not appear to be intending to [...]
Changes at the MTCIA
After serving as MTCIA President for the past year, Bob Devine is stepping down from the position. Devine served as President during the one of the most dynamic political cycles since medical marijuana became an option in Montana. It was a time of crisis as the five year lawsuit came to a close with a Supreme Court ruling that the 2011 bill, SB 423, could go into near total effect. It was an “all hands on deck!” moment. We needed strategy. We [...]
Get on the Team
Get on the Team. Protect Access During the 2017 Legislature. Within the first 10 days of I-182 going into effect 1300 patients have applied to restore their access to medical marijuana to treat their debilitating conditions. As always, the ability of the MTCIA to protect access was made possible by our donors. We have debts to pay and work to do. We need to protect the progress we’ve made with the initiative during the upcoming 2017 Legislative Session. We need to [...]
MTCIA Statement on Governor’s Proposed 6% Tax of Medical Cannabis
First, we recognize that the Governor’s budget never ends exactly how it starts. There’s a long road ahead and it might be premature to react. That said, medications are not taxed in Montana so objections to singling out cannabis for taxation make sense. The average patient spending $200 per month would be looking at a $12 per month increase in cost. On the other hand, we recognize that the more the program is integrated into state government, the safer the program is [...]
Giving Thanks this Holiday & A Salute to the Past
Designed as a trade association, the MTCIA has been an important tool for getting things done in Montana. The organizational structure was already there in place, if not active, when the crisis of SB 423 happened in 2011. Founder Nathan Pierce could see the crisis for what it was and though the organization was "his baby," he welcomed a set of people onto the board who had the right skill sets to augment the skills of those already on the board so [...]
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