Medical marijuana is OK'd, but a veto looms

The Star Tribune

By Kevin Duchschere and Pat Doyle

A bill that permits terminally ill patients to use marijuana to ease their pain cleared the House and Senate on Monday night, a measure significantly narrowed from an earlier version that would have allowed any suffering patient, terminal or not, to use the drug for medical purposes.

The House passed the bill, 70-64, a victory for supporters who have long worked to get medical marijuana legalized in Minnesota, but one not nearly big enough to override a veto by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who said Tuesday that he will reject the bill.

Hoping to make the bill more palatable to Pawlenty, Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, introduced the last-minute amendment to allow marijuana to be used only by terminal patients. But there seemed little chance that Pawlenty, who has long expressed reservations, was inclined to approve the bill in any form.

The Senate, which previously had passed a broader version, took up the amended bill after the House vote and approved it, 38-28.

The issue of medical marijuana, which has been legalized by 13 states, prompted impassioned debate that pitted concern for the suffering against worries that legalizing the drug even for limited use would lead to increased drug addiction and crime.

The Atkins amendment made no difference to Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, who insisted on calling the drug "medicinal pot."

"It is a gateway drug. It does lead to other issues," he said.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," said Rep. Thomas Huntley, DFL-Duluth, a sponsor of the bill.

Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, who is a police chief, said the potential benefits of the legislation didn't outweigh its drawbacks. Legalizing marijuana even for limited circumstances will lead to problems for officers, he said. "I'm just not willing to give up on the war on drugs," Cornish said.

But other members said they favored the measure, citing sick family members who they said might have suffered less if they had access to medical marijuana. Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, his voice shaky, said that after a while morphine didn't help his dying mother.

And Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, a usually reliable conservative vote, said that medical marijuana wasn't a partisan issue. "Let's do the right thing for a few people," said Buesgens, who voted for the bill.
Seat belt bill

The House and Senate passed a bill that would allow police to pull over drivers if they or their passengers aren't wearing seat belts. Right now, officers must see another traffic offense before they can stop a motorist and ticket someone for not being strapped in.

Proponents described the requirement as a major safety measure and said the rule would help secure federal transportation funding. Opponents argued that wearing a seat belt should be voluntary and warned that mandating it could result in racial profiling. The fine for the offense: $25.
Legacy funds

The House passed a bill allocating $234 million for programs for the outdoors, clean water, parks and arts, as provided by the Legacy Amendment sales tax voters approved last year. The Senate was expected to take up the measure.
Anti-bullying bill

An expanded state policy against bullying and intimidation in public schools would take effect next year under a bill passed by both houses.

School districts would be required to adopt their own written policies by next summer that address various harassment scenarios, including those using the Internet. The policies would apply to students, teachers, administrators and other school employees.

Employees would have to be trained on preventing and responding to bullying.
Election bill

Both chambers passed a compromise that overhauls some of the state's elections laws and moves up the state's primary elections from September to early August. However, the final deal dropped a provision that would have allowed early voting. And it didn't include a requirement sought by Republicans that voters show photo ID cards at the polls.

The bill establishes centralized boards to count absentee ballots, allows voters to go online to confirm they're registered, and prevents courts from letting campaigns decide whether specific absentee ballots are valid.

kduchschere@startribune.com • 651-292-0164 pdoyle@startribune • 651-222-1210