Montana

Medical marijuana issue still playing out in Montana courts

Posted: Oct 31, 2012 7:47 AM by MTN News

HELENA - On election day, voters will decide the fate of Montana's medical marijuana law - but the legal wrangling over the issue could continue for some time.

On Friday, Helena District Judge James Reynolds issued a temporary restraining order that blocks some key provisions of Senate Bill 423 enacted by the 2011 legislature.

A hearing on the issue is scheduled for November 13th, a week after the election.

Reynolds' decision lifts a ban on medical marijuana providers getting paid for their services.

An attorney with the Montana Cannabis Association says a Supreme Court ruling from last week that upholds the law could have left nearly 6,000 patients without a provider.

Voters will decide whether to keep Senate Bill 423 in its current form or revert the law back to what was originally passed by voters in 2004.