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>> HIGH-SPEED INTERNET COULD
BE MORE ACCESSIBILITIES IN
GREATER MINNESOTA, AND WILL
MEDICAL MARIJUANA BE AVAILABLE
VIA PRESCRIPTION?
WE TALK TO THE AUTHORS OF BOTH
PROPOSALS IN THIS WEEK'S
"CAPITOL REPORT."
♪
>> HELLO, EVERYBODY, AND
WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S
"CAPITOL REPORT."
I'M JULIE BARTKEY.
IN THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM, WE
DELVE INTO FOUR DIFFERENT
PROPOSALS THAT COULD BE
CONSIDERED IN 2014.
WE BEGIN WITH A BILL THAT WAS
INTRODUCED LAST SESSION AND IS
CARRIED FORWARD IN 2014,
MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
GOVERNOR MARK DAYTON HAS BEEN
OPPOSED TO THE MEASURE BUT HE
SAYS HE WILL GIVE IT SOME
THOUGHT PENDING A STUDY ON THE
ISSUE.
>> I REALLY, YOU KNOW, RESPECT
THE SINCERITY OF PEOPLE ON
BOTH FOR AND AGAINST
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA FOR
MEDICAL USES.
I REALIZE, AT LEAST FOR ME,
THERE ARE SO MANY UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS THAT REALLY HAVE A
BEARING ON IT.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT?
HOW MANY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, CAN
ONLY GET THE MEDICAL BENEFITS
THAT THEY NEED FROM USING
MARIJUANA VERSUS ALL THE OTHER
PHARMACOLOGICAL OPTIONS THAT
ARE LEGAL AND CAN BE
PRESCRIBED?
WHAT'S THE COST OF SETTING UP
THESE DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTION
CENTERS, ONE IN EVERY COUNTY,
AND THEN A NETWORK FOR, YOU
KNOW, THE GROWING AND THE
CONTROL AND THE SALE.
HOW CAN THEY -- YOU KNOW, VERY
VALID CONCERNS OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT THAT -- AND THE
EXPERIENCES OF OTHER STATES
THAT HAVE SEEN A WIDE
PROLIFERATION OF USE OF
MARIJUANA IN THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, EVEN WITH THE
LIMITATION ON MEDICAL --
CALIFORNIA IS -- I HAVE
FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA
AND JUST FIND ANYBODY IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD WHO, YOU KNOW,
GET A BLANK MEDICAL THING AND
SIGN IT AND GET YOURSELF A
STASH.
SO, I MEAN, THERE -- SO THE
COST AND BENEFIT PART OF IT AS
WELL AS WHAT ARE THE
EXPERIENCES OF OTHER STATES?
YOU KNOW, 21 STATES NOW THAT
HAVE ADOPTED THIS, WHERE HAS
IT GONE WRONG, WHERE HAS ITS
GONE RIGHT?
>> SENATOR SCOTT DIBBLE IS THE
CHIEF AUTHOR IN THE SENATE OF
THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA
LEGISLATION.
HE TALKED WITH US A LITTLE
BITS ABOUT WHERE HE'S GOING TO
GO NEXT WITH THIS PROPOSAL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, WE
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
>> THANK YOU, JULIE.
>>
>> SENATOR, BEFORE WE GET INTO
WHAT'S NEXT, WHAT MADE YOU
DECIDES TO ACTUALLY CAMP ON
THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION?
IT'S A BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE
SOME TIME.
>> THIS IS AN ISSUE I'VE BEEN
AWARE OF FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
FOLKS MIGHT KNOW THAT A BIG
PART OF MY EARLY WORK, MY
VOLUNTEERISM AND SOME OF MY
ACTIVISM AND ADVOCACY WAS
AROUND *** AND AIDS ISSUES,
AND THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT'S
BEEN FRONT AND CENTER AND A
MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN
FOR MINNESOTANS SINCE THE LATE
'80s.
AND EVEN AS FAR BACK AS THEN,
WE KNEW THAT THE ONLY WAY A
LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH
***/AIDS COULD GET RELIEF FROM
SOME OF THE MAJOR SYMPTOMS
WASN'T AVAILABLE TO THEM FROM
ANY CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE AT
ALL, SOME OF THE NAUSEAU, SOME
OF THE WASTING, SOME OF THE
HEADACHES, A LOT OF THE
ISSUES, WAS THROUGH USING
MARIJUANA.
AND FORTUNATELY, FOLKS ARE
FORCED TO BREAK THE LAW -- AND
UNFORTUNATELY, FOLKS ARE
FORCED TO BREAK THE LAW IF
THEY WANT TO SEEK EVEN THE
MOST MODEST AVENUE FOR THAT.
THAT'S BEEN A FOCUS AND A KEY
CONVERSATION FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE ABOUT A LOT OF THESE
SYNDROMES AND A NUMBER OF
OTHER STATES HAVE ACTUALLY
TAKEN STEPS AND MOVED IN THIS
DIRECTION, AND THE EVIDENCE
THE STRONG MEDICAL EVIDENCE IS
MOUNTING THAT THIS IS A GOOD
ROUTE TO TAKE, SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE.
>> ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS
AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL IS THAT
IT'S NOT VERY TIGHTLY
REGULATED.
YOU'VE STATED PUBLICLY THAT
YOUR BILL IS VERY TIGHTLY
WRITTEN.
DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO
MAKE IT TIGHTER TO TRY TO GET
LAW ENFORCEMENT ON BOARD WITH
THIS, OR DO YOU THINK IT'S
WRITTEN THE -- THE WAY IT'S
WRITTEN, ITS WILL STANDS?
>> SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS
AGAINST HAVE STEMMED FROM
OTHER STATES' APPROACH TO THE
IDEA AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN
TIGHTLY REGULATED AND THAT'S
BEEN UNFORTUNATE.
CALIFORNIA IS THE POSTER CHILD
WHERE, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL
DISPENSARIES CROPPING UP
EVERYWHERE WITH VERY LITTLE
OVERSIGHT, VERY LITTLE
REGULATION, SKY IS THE LIMIT.
VERY, VERY LOOSE MONITORING OF
WHO CAN GET THESE
PRESCRIPTIONS AND FOR WHAT,
AND WHO'S -- AND UNDER WHAT
CIRCUMSTANCES FOLKS ARE
GETTING THESE PRESCRIPTIONS.
IF SOMEONE WERE TO ACTUALLY
READ OUR BILL, A LOT OF THE
CRITICISM IN MINNESOTA IS
COMING FROM FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY
HAVEN'T READ OUR PROPOSAL.
THE REGULATIONS, THE
CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PRESCRIBING
AUTHORITY, ALL VERY, VERY
TIGHTLY CIRCUMSCRIBED AND, YOU
KNOW, FOLKS WHO CAN GET
MARIJUANA WHERE IT CAN BE
DISPENSED, YOU KNOW, ALL OF
THE CONTROLS ARE VERY, VERY
TIGHT.
>> SENATOR, IN OUR DECEMBER
30th INTERVIEW WITH THE
"SOMEBODY EIGHTED PRESS,"
GOVERNOR MARK DAYTON
ENCOURAGED PROPONENTS OF
MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO CLAIB .08
WITH STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
ANY LEGISLATION, HE SAID HE
WOULD SIGN SOMETHING THAT THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY CAN
SUPPORT.
DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO
GET LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SUPPORT
THIS MEASURE, OR AT LEAST
STAND DOWN?
>> WELL, IF ANY OF THEIR
PUBLIC STATEMENTS AS WELL AS
THEIR PRIVATE STATEMENTS TO ME
IN THE FORM OF EMAILS ARE ANY
EVIDENCE.
I THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT IS IN
KIND OF A LOCK-STEP, KNEE-JERK
POSITION OF OPPOSITION.
THEY HAVE YET TO ACTUALLY READ
THE BILL AND WHAT IT SAYS, AND
SO THEY MAKE PUBLIC STATEMENTS
THAT ARE JUST COMPLETELY
CONTRARY TO THE ACTUAL
PROVISIONS THAT WE HAVE.
THEY MAKE STATEMENTS ABOUT WHO
CAN GET MARIJUANA AND THAT
IT'S, YOU KNOW, LOOSELY
REGULATED AND ET CETERA, ET
CETERA.
AND THEY'VE SAID CLEARLY,
THERE'S NO POINT OF YOUR EVEN
BRINGING THE LANGUAGE OF THE
BILL TO OUR NEXT MEETING
BECAUSE WE'RE OPPOSED AND
WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN OPPOSED.
SO I RESPECT THE GOVERNOR'S
POSITION, SURE, LET'S GO HAVE
A GOOD-FAITH CONVERSATION,
NEGOTIATION WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
THEY'RE CHARGED WITH ENFORCING
THE LAWS AND MAKING SURE
ILLEGAL DRUGS AREN'T GETTING
OUT INTO THE LARGER COMMUNITY.
IF WE COULD IN FACT HAVE A
GOOD FAITH CONVERSATION AND
NEGOTIATION WITH PUBLIC
SAFETY, FOR WHATEVER REASON,
THEY'RE TAKING A POSITION OF
ABSOLUTE OPPOSITION WITH NO
ABILITY TO HAVE ANY REALLY
OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE
PROVISIONS.
>> SO TO THAT POINT, GOVERNOR
DAYTON, HE TRADITIONALLY HAS
SIDED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ON
THIS ISSUE.
HOWEVER, VERY RECENTLY AT A
NEWS CONFERENCE, HE REQUESTED
THAT -- HE TALKED ABOUT
REQUESTING AN INDEPENDENT
STUDY ON ITS USE MEDICALLY AS
WELL AS THE POTENTIAL
IMPLICATIONS TO INCREASE
CRIME.
SO THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT
STUDY.
HOW ENCOURAGED ARE YOU, IS
THIS AN ENCOURAGING SIGN THAT
PERHAPS THIS ISSUE IS NOT DEAD
IN THE WATER?
>> WELL, I THINK IT'S AN
INDICATION THAT HE'S OPENING
HIS MIND TO THE EVIDENCE,
UNLIKE LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH
ISN'T OPEN TO THE AVAILABLE
EVIDENCE.
I THINK WE CAN SHOW A COUPLE
OF THINGS.
ONE IS PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING
RIGHT NOW AND THIS SHOULDN'T
WAIT.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR
A LONG TIME AND THERE ARE
FAMILIES NOW WITH LITTLE KIDS
WITH THESE REALLY, REALLY
SERIOUS SEIZURE CONDITIONS WHO
ARE BEING FORCED TO LIVE OUT
OF STATE, COLORADO, WASHINGTON
STATE, OTHER PLACES,
CALIFORNIA, SO THAT THEIR KIDS
CAN FIND SOME RELIEF.
AND SO I'M ENCOURAGED THAT
HE'S SENSITIVE TO THE POLITE
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE -- TO THE
PLIGHT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
SUFFERING TODAY AND I'M
ENCOURAGED THAT HE'S THINKING
ABOUT THINGS LIKE EVIDENCE
AROUND SECURITY AND STAYING
INSIDE THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW
AND THE EFFICACY OF USING
MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED AN
ACTUAL INDEPENDENT STUDY ABOUT
WHAT GOES ON INSIDE IT IS
BORDERS OF MINNESOTA, THERE IS
A TON OF EVIDENCE THAT THIS
IS A PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION
AND WE WANT TO CONTINUES TO
HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH
HIM HAVE THE.
>> SO MOVING FORWARD IN 2014,
HAVE YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS
WITH LAWMAKERS?
ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THIS CAN
PASS?
>> I THINK IF LAWMAKERS KNEW
THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS GOING TO
SIGN THIS BILL, WE WOULD GET
IT PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY AND
COULD GETS IT TO HIS DESK IN A
MATTER OF WEEKS.
WE PASS,BILL BEFORE ON A
BROADLY BIPARTISAN BASIS, WE
GOT IT TO GOVERNOR PAWLENTY'S
DESK.
HE VETOED IT UNFORTUNATELY.
HE HAD MADE SOME INDICATION AT
SOME POINT THAT HE MAY NOT BUT
HE VETOED IT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT
ABSOLUTELY -- AND IF YOU GO
OUT AND TALK TO THE PUBLIC,
THE PUBLIC OVERWHELMINGLY
SUPPORTS THIS IDEA, AS WELL,
SO POLITICALLY PEOPLE STAND ON
VERY SOLID GROUND.
THE POLICY IS PRUDENT.
THE VALUES THAT UNDERPIN THIS
THAT WE'RE PROVIDING RELIEF TO
PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING ARE
VERY, VERY STRONG.
WE JUST NEED SOME LEADERSHIP
AND WE CAN GET THIS DONE.
>> OKAY.
SENATOR SCOTT DIBBLE, THANK
YOU FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS
ON YOUR PROPOSAL.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
>> THANKS, JULIE.
♪
>> SENATOR MATH SCHMIT JOINS
ME TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
A TOUR THAT HE IS DOING TO TRY
TO EXPAND ACCESS TO BROADBAND
INTERNET.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> GREAT TO BE HERE TODAY.