With parent-advocates and their sick children looking on, the House voted 86-39 to pass the bill.
Several lawmakers choked back tears during a Friday debate that, at times, turned remarkably personal. Some talked about their own illnesses or those of loved ones; others touched on their battles with addiction.
"Think about your family, your neighbors," Rep.
Tony Albright, who supported the bill, urged his colleagues.
Most St. Cloud-area representatives voted against the bill, except Rep. Zachary Dorholt, a DFLer, and Rep. Tama Theis, a Republican, both of St. Cloud.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing, is far narrower in scope than the medical marijuana bill passed Tuesday by the Minnesota Senate. It would legalize medical marijuana only for participants in a Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research Study run by the Department of Health. About 5,000 Minnesotans with specified conditions, such as cancer, seizures or multiple sclerosis, could participate.
A single, state-approved manufacturer would supply patients with medical marijuana through two dispensaries under the House proposal. Smoking of the drug would not be allowed; it could be consumed only in pill or oil form.
Rep. Tama Theis describes marijuana bill decision
Senate bill broader
Gov. Mark Dayton wrote House and Senate lawmakers just after Friday's vote, saying he would sign the House version of the medical marijuana bill. That could heighten pressure on senators to concur with the House version; they also could negotiate a fresh compromise with the House.
The Senate bill would legalize use — but not smoking — of medical marijuana for all people with a qualifying health condition, a doctor's recommendation and a state-issued identification card. It would create a network of 55 medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state.
Law enforcement groups have spoken out against the Senate bill but have remained neutral on the House bill. That's critical because Dayton, who has been reluctant to sign a medical marijuana bill, has tied his stance closely to that of law enforcement.
The House measure, scaled back significantly from earlier versions, has split medical marijuana advocates. Most wanted a bill that could benefit more patients and make the drug easier to obtain and administer.
But supporters of the measure, led by Melin, say they're willing to yield to obtain Dayton's signature.
One of the parents watching Friday's debate in person was Ryan Hiltner of St. Cloud. His 7-year-old daughter, Amaya, has a severe form of epilepsy that hasn't responded well to traditional treatment. The Hiltners say they want the medical marijuana option for Amaya because others with epilepsy have benefited from certain forms of the drug.
'We just need something that works'
Hiltner said the House bill is far from perfect. But Hiltner said he supports the bill because it would provide a platform to start getting medical marijuana to Minnesotans who need it.
Proponents "need to respect law enforcement and they need to respect what Gov. Dayton wants. I think that's what they're trying to do with this bill," Hiltner said. "At the end of the day, we just need something that works — and we need it this year."
The personal nature of Friday's debate extended from the House gallery, where the Hiltners were watching, to the House floor.
Rep. Rod Hamilton has multiple sclerosis, one of the conditions that could qualify someone for medical marijuana under the House and Senate bills.
In an emotional speech to colleagues, Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, said he initially opposed medical marijuana but changed his mind after meeting with parents of children who could benefit from the drug.
Several area representatives, including Jeff Howe, R-Rockville, Tim O'Driscoll, R-Sartell, and Tama Theis, R-St. Cloud, said they hadn't decided how they would vote on the bill until the final moments.
The first-term Theis said she was trying to balance her concern for patients with law enforcement concerns and with her own questions about the workability of the House proposal.
Critics want federal action
After voting for the bill, Theis said she remains concerned that its paucity of dispensaries will make it tough for outstate Minnesotans to get the drug.
Still, Theis said she was surprised at the volume of emails she received urging her to support the bill. The fact that law enforcement groups didn't oppose it also was key, she said.
House GOP opponents of the bill said the federal government, not states, should be looking into whether marijuana has medicinal uses. They say they want the FDA to treat marijuana like other drugs and evaluate its efficacy for medical use.
Marijuana remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law. Critics question what would happen if a future president is hostile to medical use of the drug.
Advocates say states shouldn't wait for FDA action because the federal classification of marijuana hinders the research needed for the FDA to consider it.
O'Driscoll said Minnesota and states that have legalized medical marijuana should pass resolutions urging federal officials to remove hurdles to medical marijuana research.
"I acknowledge that we need to do something," O'Driscoll said. "State by state, doing this, isn't going to be the resolution."
HOW THEY VOTED
Here's how St. Cloud-area representatives voted on a bill to legalize medical marijuana for those with serious health conditions who participate in a state research study:
YES
Rep. Zachary Dorholt,
DFL-St. Cloud
Rep. Tama Theis, R-St. Cloud
NO
Rep. Paul Anderson,
R-Starbuck
Rep. Sondra Erickson,
R-Princeton
Rep. Jeff Howe, R-Rockville
Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls
Rep. Jim Newberger, R-Becker
Rep. Tim O'Driscoll, R-Sartell
Rep. Marion O'Neill,
R-Buffalo
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