Residents speak on medical marijuana

Several community members voiced concerns about medical marijuana regulations in Havre during City Council's meeting Monday. Trygve "Spike" Magelssen asked if the Council could send a request to the state Legislature to draft more specific laws pertaining to medical marijuana "so that we could be better able to facilitate the law." Mayor Tim Solomon said that Magelssen brought up a good point, one that cities across the state are dealing with while they struggle to formulate regulations and zoning for medical marijuana in their communities. "I think you're going to see some legislations come out of it because we're not alone," he said, encouraging residents to contact their legislators. Statewide, information about medical marijuana is still being gathered, he said, and once the city has a better idea of where it's going, the ideas will likely be passed on to the state. Shawna Fox asked Planning and Development Committee members, who meet today at 5:15 p.m. in City Hall to discuss the issue, to consider placing a Moratorium on medical marijuana in the area. "We're really concerned," said Deana Grabofsky, adding that she hopes the city acts quickly to regulate medical marijuana. "We've got to put a handle on it." Jim Bauer voiced his support of medical marijuana, which he uses because of his glaucoma. "I would not be able to see today if it weren't for medical marijuana," he told Council members. He said that to keep medical marijuana out of the city would be bad for patients. He does not use the marijuana to get high, he said. Instead, he uses it to manage his pain and symptoms. "It does not corrupt youth or anything like that," he said. When he is approached by someone wanting to purchase marijuana from him, he said he calls law enforcement.