Medical marijuana overhaul bill gets first hearing

Medical marijuana overhaul bill gets first hearing

STEPHEN DOCKERY, Associated Press

HELENA — A new plan to overhaul Montana's medical marijuana law needs to be improved for it to be a workable plan, both supporters and opponents of the bill said Friday.

Senate Bill 423 would overturn the state's current law and replace it with tighter, law enforcement-friendly regulation.

The sponsor, Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeff Essmann, said the measure could reduce the number of legal marijuana users from more than 28,000 to about 2,000.

Friday's hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee mad...