USA (Montana) - Voters approve medical marijuana!
On November 2, Montana become the 10th state to stop the arrest and prosecution of medical marijuana patients. On November 2, voters approved the Medical Marijuana Act — I-148 — in a landslide of 62% to 38%.
I-148 |
Number of votes |
Percentage of total vote |
Yes |
271,115 votes |
62% |
No |
167,459 votes |
38% |
We couldn’t have done it without our supporters’ donations and help and Montana voters’ compassion. We are especially grateful to the brave and dedicated people who spoke openly about the need to protect medical marijuana patients. Thank you to Robin Prosser, Walter Simon, Linda Merchant, Sherry Flor, and Teresa Michalski. MMPPM would also like to thank Paul Befumo, Tom Daubert, Travis Watkins, and the volunteers from Montana State University-Bozeman and the University of Montana.
Please check back for news articles on I-148’s passage. And please consider supporting our national organization, which spearheaded the campaign, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). MPP is working for humane and sensible marijuana policies nationwide.
Four dailies and two weeklies endorse I-148
In the weeks leading up to I-148’s passage, almost all of the major papers in Montana spoke out for ending the prosecution of the critically ill patients who treat their diseases with medical marijuana. The Helena Independent, the Billings Gazette, the Great Falls Tribune, The Montana Standard, the Missoula Independent, and the Billings Outpost all endorsed I-148. The Helena Independent editorialized, "Why on Earth not?"
Read these editorials and other news...
Radio and TV ads for I-148 air
From October 11 until November 2, MMPPM aired a series of heart-wrenching TV ads about medical marijuana. The first ad featured 69-year-old Walter Simon, who used medical marijuana to combat cancer symptoms. In the second ad, Robin Prosser of Missoula explained that she couldn’t move without medical marijuana because of muscle problems. The third ad featured Teresa Michalski talking about her family’s fear that her late son would be arrested for using medical marijuana to treat the pain, nausea, and wasting caused by Hodgkin’s disease.
Medical marijuana supporters respond to deputy drug czar’s lies
Despite short notice, about a dozen protesters gathered outside of Deputy Drug Czar Scott Burns’ press conference in Missoula on October 6. They passed out leaflets noting that — contrary to Burns’ outright lie — numerous medical organizations and studies have found that marijuana has medical value.
Butte newspaper supports I-148, based on compassion After taking the time to listen to Teresa Michalski, the mother of a late medical marijuana patient, the Montana Standard concluded, "The government is in the way of sick people who want to legally possess and use marijuana to help them function." The newspaper urged Montanans to base their vote on compassion.
Mother of late Hodgkin’s patient helped pass I-148
Teresa Michalski lost her son, Travis, to Hodgkin’s Disease last year. Prescription medicines didn’t help his pain, his nausea, or his appetite loss — but medical marijuana did. Teresa campaigned for I-148 so that other seriously ill Montanans and their families will not have to risk losing their homes, college aid, and freedom for treating their diseases.
City defers prosecution of critically ill Missoulian
The Missoula City Attorney deferred its cruel prosecution of one of Montana’s most outspoken advocates of medical marijuana, Robin Prosser. Prosser was charged with marijuana possession after police officers entered her home in May to save her from a suicide attempt. On Sept. 2, the Missoula District Attorney’s office agreed to drop charges after nine months if Robin abides by an agreement to be law-abiding. Montanans may recall that Robin Prosser waged a 60-day hunger strike two years ago to draw attention to the urgent need for a medical marijuana law. Prosser has a lupus-related immunosuppressive disorder and is allergic to narcotic pain medications. She found that only marijuana effectively treats her pain.
With the passage of Montana’s medical marijuana initiative, I-148, Robin Prosser — and all of Montana’s other medical marijuana patients — will never again be prosecuted by Montana for using their medicine according to their doctors’ recommendations.
