Supportive legislators

During the 2007-2008 session, 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.

Rep. 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."

Rep. Huntley was not alone in sponsoring this compassionate legislation. H.F. 655 was introduced with 18 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

During the 2009-2010 legislative session, Sen. Steve Murphy introduced S.F. 97. This bill would protect seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana with their doctors’ recommendations from arrest and prison. Joining Sen. Murphy as co-sponsors were Sens. Geoff Michel, Debbie Johnson, Linda Higgins, and John Marty.

In the House, Rep. Tom Rukavina introduced H.F. 292, a companion bill to S.F. 97. The bill was co-authored by 26 representatives, including:

Rep. Mark Buesgnes (R-Jordan)

Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth)

Rep. Leon Lille (DFL-North St. Paul)

Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar)

Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis)

Rep. Cy Thao (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Sr. (DFL-Crystal)

Rep. Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Bob Gunther (R-Fairmont)

Rep. Bill Hitly (DFL-Finlayson)

Rep. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley)

Rep. Will Morgan (DFL-Bursnville)

Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Minneapolis)

Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis)

Rep. Larry Haws (DFL-St. Cloud)

Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Anthony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm)

Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Jeff Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis)

Rep. Michael Paymar (DFL-St. Paul)

Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul)

Rep. Al Juhnke (DFL-Willmar)

Rep. Dianne Loeffler (DFL-Minneapolis)

Rep. Linda Slocum (DFL-Richfield)

Rep. David Bly (DFL-Northfield)

What the legislation would do:

A medical marijuana law — like the effective laws at work in 14 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 law would license registered, nonprofit organizations to grow medical marijuana and would allow patients or their caregivers to cultivate marijuana if a nonprofit organization is not available to provide the medicine. The law 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.

Read some of the testimony in support of the Minnesota medical marijuana bill