The Marijuana Dispatch

Republican Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington was hoping to attach an amendment that would legalize medical marijuana to a separate health bill. But that bill has been pulled from Wednesday’s docket until after the Legislature’s Passover/Easter break that begins the next day.

Garofalo’s amendment calls for a broader medical marijuana law than Gov. Mark Dayton has said he is willing to back. Dayton didn’t issue a veto threat Tuesday but said legislators “have hidden behind their desks” while he strained to bridge concerns of advocates and law enforcement.

But there are issues, like the bill currently doesn’t allow people to grow their own marijuana and penalizes smoking, even for medical reasons. That’s pretty limiting for a lot of patients who need to keep costs to a minimum and want to know exactly what strain they’re getting so they can target specific medical needs like pain, depression, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Heather Azzi, the director for Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, a group that supports legalization, says it might be a good thing that the vote is delayed. “It’s important that we take more time with it,” she said. “We know that we need the governor’s signature to get a medical marijuana bill enacted in Minnesota.”