Supportive legislators

Minnesota’s medical marijuana legislation received widespread, bipartisan support, as well as the support of the legislature’s top health experts.

The lead sponsor in the House was Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth). Rep. Huntley serves as the lead representative for health-finance issues and is the chairman of the House Healthcare and Human Services Finance Division.

Huntley sponsored H.F. 655 because it would put health care decisions where they belong: with doctors and patients. He stated: "Politicians in St. Paul should trust physicians to know what's best for their patients."

Huntley was not alone is sponsoring this compassionate legislation. H.F. 655 was introduced with eighteen sponsors, including four Republicans. Co-sponsors included the former House speaker, Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon), the current majority leader, Anthony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm), and the chairman of the House Health Care and Human Services Policy Committee, Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis/Richfield).

Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing) was the lead sponsor of the Senate companion bill, S.F. 345. This bill was introduced with five sponsors (the most allowed by Senate rules), including three DFL'ers and two Republicans.

The 17 House sponsors were:

Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth)
Rep. Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon)
Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis)
Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R-Andover)
Rep. Leon Lille (DFL-North St. Paul)
Rep. Cy Thao (DFL-St. Paul)
Rep. Dianne Loeffler (DFL-Minneapolis)
Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul)
Rep. Neva Walker (DFL-Minneapolis)
Rep. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley)
Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar)
Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul)
Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth)
Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL-St. Paul)
Rep. Anthony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm)
Rep. Ken Tschumper (DFL-La Crescent)
Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis)

The 5 Senate sponsors were:

Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing)
Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina)
Sen. Steve Dille (R-Dassel)
Sen. Linda Higgins (DFL-Minneapolis)
Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-Minneapolis)

Legislation

Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing) introduced S.F. 345 at the start of the 2007-2008 session. This bill would protect from arrest and prison seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana with their doctors' recommendations. Joining Sen. Murphy as co-sponsors were Senators Geoff Michel (R-Edina), Steve Dille (R-Dassel), Linda Higgins (DFL-Minneapolis) and Linda Berglin (DFL-Minneapolis). In 2007, S.F. 345 passed out of every committee of jurisdiction, culminating in its historic passage on the floor of the Minnesota Senate on May 1, 2007.

In the House, Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth) was the lead sponsor of H.F. 655, a companion bill to S.F. 345. Rep. Huntley is the chair of the Health Care and Human Services Finance Committee and has previously sponsored medical marijuana legislation in the House. The second author of the House bill was the former Speaker of the House, Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon). Rep. Huntley and Rep. Sviggum led a bipartisan coalition of 17 cosponsors on H.F. 655. The other co-sponsors included Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis/Richfield), chairman of the House Health Care and Human Services Policy Committee, Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R-Andover), and Rep. Anthony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm), House majority leader.

The medical marijuana bill passed out of all committees of jurisdiction in the House -- five in total -- before failing to receive a vote on the House floor prior to the close of the 2007-2008 session.

What the legislation would do:

A medical marijuana law — like the effective laws at work in 12 states — would protect people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other serious illnesses from being arrested and imprisoned for possessing and using a limited amount of marijuana for medical purposes on the advice of their doctors. Additionally, the Minnesota law would license registered, nonprofit organizations to grow medical marijuana, and would also protect patients' caregivers from criminal penalties for possessing and delivering medical marijuana for the patients' use.

Patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, or certain other illnesses would be able to apply for registry ID cards that would protect them from arrest and prosecution. They would have to provide their doctors' written recommendations and pay the appropriate application fees.

Furthermore, a physician would not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty for providing a written recommendation to medical marijuana patients or for otherwise stating that the benefits of a patient's medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh any health risks.