“Wrong for Montana” Campaign Against Recreational Marijuana
Billings car dealer Stephen Zabawa has officially launched a campaign called “Wrong for Montana” to fight against I-190, which pushes for the legalization of the sale and possession of recreational marijuana by adults in Montana, and CI-118, which would set the minimum age to legally purchase and consume marijuana at 21. The ballot action committee draws from a broad base of support, including Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action), the Montana Contractors Association, and the Montana Family Foundation, and the American Academy of Medical Ethics (AAME).
Medical marijuana was first legalized in Montana in 2004 and then revised in 2011 as Senate Bill 423. SB 423 banned medical marijuana advertisements, limited dispensaries to three users, and required doctors who prescribe marijuana to more than 25 patients per year to undergo a state review. In 2012, an attempt to repeal the bill but was unsuccessful at the ballot box. In 2016, Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative, I-182, was approved by voters, which repealed several of SB 243’s requirements regarding the number of patients which medical marijuana providers could treat, allowed physicians to prescribe marijuana for patients diagnosed with chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and repealed law enforcement’s power to conduct unannounced inspections of medical marijuana facilities.
