Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 88 WHAT IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND WHO CAN ACCESS IT? Marijuana contains more than 100 different chemicals, including Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)—the latter having become a popular legal, over- the-counter, non-psychoactive treatment for everything from anxiety to insomnia. While medical marijuana is essentially the same product as recreational marijuana, it addresses specific medical issues and may be manufac- tured to deliver more targeted therapy. Today, the following conditions are eli- gible for medical marijuana treatment: • Glaucoma • Cancer • HIV or AIDS • Epilepsy • Crohn's disease • Neuropathy • Multiple sclerosis • Chronic pain • Insomnia • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • Chronic nausea or vomiting, as well as some eating disorders • And more THE HISTORY OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MONTANA In Montana, state voters first passed medical marijuana legislation in 2004. From that point until about 2009, though, growth in the patient population was minimal, and the restrictive laws only saw minimal change. By the end of 2009, the dynamic of medical weed had shifted. Federal policies were slackening, and operating businesses began to realize the lack of legal regulations and protections. By 2011, state voters agreed that it was time to shift the Big Sky State's approach to medical marijuana. e result was SB 423. Controversial from the start, SB 423 limited dispensaries to only serving three patients at a given time. In the eyes of marijuana rights activists, the bill made it impossible for patients to access needed medical marijuana services, even with valid medical cards. In many ways, they were right. As a result of the bill, 93% of the state's total 12,400 medical marijuana patients lost access to their medical marijuana pro- vider. e bill was challenged repeatedly in state court. After a five-year battle, the Montana Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of SB 423. I N THE UNITED STATES, MARIJUANA HAS ENJOYED SOMETHING LIKE A HERO'S JOURNEY: separation, initiation, and return. Once the drug of choice for hipsters and beatniks, marijuana fell from grace during the "Reefer Madness" days, only to rise to prominence again with the hippies, and to be demonized once more during the Nixon administration and the War on Drugs. While the trajectory of marijuana may have stabilized slightly in recent years, it hasn't become much easier to follow. is is especially true for medical marijuana. Beginning in Colorado and California, laws legalizing medical marijuana have since expanded throughout the American West. Today, Utah, Arizona, North Dakota, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Montana all have some form of medical marijuana legalization. In Montana, though, the establishment and maintenance of medical marijuana laws has been exceptionally complex. MONTANA AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA by ASHLEY ARCEL G oing to Pot

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