State Appeals Ruling to Block Parts of Medical Marijuana Law

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The state is appealing a judge's ruling that blocked parts of a stricter medical marijuana law passed by the legislature in 2011.

District Judge James Reynolds has twice blocked provisions that prohibited advertisement and commercial sale of medical marijuana as well as provisions that limited providers to three patients and called for reviewing the practices of doctors who had recommended medical marijuana for 25 or more patients within a 12-month period.

None of those provisions of the 2011 law have taken effect because of injunctions issued by Reynolds.

Lee Newspapers of Montana reports the attorney general's office argued this week that the legislature passed the law to try to balance the competing interests of sick Montanans to use marijuana for medicinal purposes while limiting conflict and potential liability under federal law.