Monthly Archives: March 2016

On March 11, MTCIA attorney, Jim Goetz, filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the recent Montana Supreme Court decision. The motion requested two things. That the court postpone the effect of its decision until the end of the 2017 Montana Legislative session That the Court reconsider its Opinion upholding the 3 patient limit We’ve requested the first in order to create the opportunity for the MT Legislature to address the issues raised by the Court’s Opinion and remedy the burden that [...]

By: Kate Cholewa   The Proposed Medical Marijuana Initiative: First Steps Twelve years ago Montana voters approved I-148 with 62% of the vote, creating the Medical Marijuana Act and program. I-148 was a simple, basic law meant to implement a new idea. Like all laws, it would need to be adapted as time marched forward. This is the way laws work. They evolve. They get fixed. They catch up to changes in knowledge. But that’s not what happened. Instead of developing [...]

AG Tim Fox files against motion to wind down medical marijuana program slowly. “Patients were hoping for a soft landing following the recent Montana Supreme Court’s decision to allow the legislature’s devastating law undermining the medical marijuana program to go into effect,” said Gregory Zuckert of the MTCIA. “Instead of a soft landing, patients may be in for a crash landing.” Following last week’s Supreme Court ruling, Jim Goetz, attorney for the MTCIA, filed a motion to create a responsible transition [...]

Call To Action: We need everyone to call Montana Attorney General Tim Fox at 444-2026. Fox is forming his response to the MTCIA's motion for a 14 month transition period. He can chose to support our request or fight it. Supporting this transition is the most responsible action Fox can take. We need you, his voters, to encourage him to support this motion for a transition period. This would save thousands of patients from losing access to their medicine. This period [...]

Medical marijuana growers, patients ask for delay on enforcement of new restrictions By Mike Dennison - MTN News CONNECT Marijuana (MTN News file photo) CRIME & COURTS Medical marijuana growers, patients ask for delay on enforcement of new restrictions   HELENA - Medical marijuana growers and patients Friday asked the state Supreme Court to delay for 14 months the enforcement of its recent ruling that upheld tough, new restrictions on the drug – so the 2017 Legislature has a chance to ease [...]

Friday, March 11, 2016     Re: MTCIA files motion to protect patient access to medical marijuana   From: Gregory Zuckert, MTCIA Board member, Public Relations Contact: Kate Cholewa, Organizational Consultant   *****For Immediate Release*****   The MTCIA has persistently and successfully worked through the courts to protect patient’s access to medical marijuana since the passage of the 2011 law that served as defacto repeal of the medical marijuana program. “The recent MT Supreme Court decision has not changed that,” says [...]

Update:   Lawyers for the MTCIA will be filing a Motion for Reconsideration with the court tomorrow. This motion will effectively pause the MT Supreme Court ruling from taking effect for 15 days. During these 15 days, the MTCIA will continue to pursue every available option to make sure patients will continue to have access to critical medicine. We are reaching out to legislators and the Governors office through professional organizations and our own lobbyist. We implore everyone who wishes to be [...]

It has come to our attention here at the MTCIA that there are several active campaigns, formed by various groups, currently seeking both support and funding for their agendas.  The agendas vary from gathering the signatures by a certain date to submit to the Governor to fundraising for vague legal efforts. We want to make it clear that the MTCIA has absolutely no association with these campaigns. We did not structure, organize, or fundraise for these campaigns and we have no [...]