Pubdate: Wed, 30 Mar 2011
Source: Helena Independent Record (MT)
Copyright: 2011 Helena Independent Record
Contact: http://helenair.com/app/contact/letters_to_editor/
Website: http://helenair.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1187
Author: Josh Daniels

CANNABIS QUESTIONS

Regarding SB423 to regulate Cannabis: What will this cost? Where is 
the fiscal note? How do the health insurance companies feel about 
this? How much is this going to cost Medicare/Medicaid in the first 
year? Is this any way to have fiscal discipline? If Medicaid will 
cost $80 million for the next two years, what will these tests add? 
What will happen to thousands of the newly unemployed? Will these 
business owners be able to afford mortgages? Where will the several 
million in grow equipment go? Can law enforcement afford to lose 
focus on the meth epidemic, which is a true danger to our youth?

How can a chronic pain patient and their insurance pay for that just
so they can avoid opiate based pills? What will the financial impact
add to a patients health insurance? Can you get a doctor's appointment
every 45 days? Is this any way to treat these 21,000 Montanans?
Currently, only 353 physicians in Montana are associated with patients
presently enrolled in Montana's medical marijuana program. How do they
feel about this? The ability to prescribe dangerous narcotic pills
isn't questioned. How can the ability to recommend a substance with no
overdose be this curtailed? Two ounces and four plants is unfair. With
my MS I go through well over that in three weeks. Will the elderly
ignore the potential income for programs that help them? Can the
legislators answer any of these questions from the week this has been
put together? Above all, who will end up paying for this?

Josh Daniels

Billings 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake